Alliant plans return to tower

CEDAR RAPIDS, Jul 04, 2008 (The Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- LNT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Alliant Energy plans to restore power to the south part of the floodravaged downtown area and begin returning to its own downtown office tower next week.

Alliant began restoring power Monday to the area of downtown north of Second Avenue, which includes the Alliant Tower at 200 First St. SE. The tower has been the subject of false rumors that foundation damage caused by the June 11-13 floods that entered the building would make it uninhabitable.

Alliant spokesman Ryan Stensland said electric power has been restored to the 18-story building, which has passed structural soundness inspections, air quality inspections and water inspections.

Employees who ordinarily work in the tower have been working off-site at Kirkwood Training and Outreach Services and Van Meter Industrial since the June 12 evacuation.

Stensland said the availability of parking has been one of the concerns preventing the return to the tower. About 500 Alliant employees work in the building, which has only about 156 parking spaces of its own. Employees probably will be brought back in relatively small groups, Stensland said.

Even large businesses in buildings undamaged by the flood haven't yet returned to them because of a combination of issues. They include meeting city inspection requirements and concerns about the reliability of the electric grid.

With its two Cedar Rapids power plants and multiple substations knocked out by flooding, "We can't guarantee they'll have the reliability they're used to," Stensland said.

Verizon Business was one company that decided to hold off on reopening downtown operations until it felt more confident of the downtown power supply, Stensland said.

The Crowne Plaza Five Seasons remains closed because of a lack of steam from Alliant's Sixth Street Generating Station, which it uses to heat water.

Alliant customers are being reconnected as they complete required city inspections and request service.

Testing on the other half of Alliant's downtown system south of Second Avenue is expected to take place through the weekend, with customer reconnections beginning next week.

Alliant reminded businesses that in many cases, the entire building rather than their individual premises will need to be repaired before Alliant can safely restore service.

Of 30,000 Alliant customers who originally lost power because of the flooding, about 2,000 are still without power.

Contact the writer: (319) 398-8317 or david.dewitte@gazcomm.com

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