Old building gets new life - Law firm Van Gilder and Trzynka has renovated it and moved in

The firm of five attorneys and eight support staff moved into its newly renovated building at 436 E. Wayne St. over Thanksgiving weekend. It formerly occupied space on the second floor of the Metro building, 202 W. Berry St.

The smell of fresh paint lingers in the entryway as light flows through glass block inside and outside the building. In a conference room, a statue of Justice, a blindfold around her eyes as she holds her scales, faces a large window overlooking Clay Street near its intersection with Wayne. Pictures, diplomas and other items still need to be hung around the building.

The firm, which was founded in 1996, spent more than $500,000 purchasing and renovating the building, said Dustin Roach, administrative partner. In the 1930s the site was a Goodrich Silvertowns filling station and later a paint and body shop. A photo of the old filling station, with its service bays facing Clay Street, hangs in the reception area.

The former service bays can still be seen amid the restored exterior brickwork. The glass block and windows let in a lot of light, so Roach often doesn't need to turn on the fixtures in his office. The neighbors include the Foellinger Foundation and the Early Childhood Alliance.

Four months after work began, the building provides 4,800 square feet of office space and another 1,000 in the basement for storage, Roach said.

The firm's partners, who also include David Van Gilder and Ann Trzynka, were drawn to the historic nature of the building, Roach said. A large green sign outside lets passers-by know who's inside. Concrete floors and hanging insulation, left over from when the building most recently served as a warehouse, have been replaced by yellow plastered walls with brick columns peeking through.

"Everything's new; everything works," said Jessica Gresham, a legal assistant who has been with the firm for four years. There's no more waiting for maintenance to fix something. It's handled by the staff.

Staff members had a lot of input into how the new office would look and operate, Gresham said.

"Our shelving is built so we can all reach without the stools," she said. As the person in charge of the shelving, she helped decide how much was needed.

The only drawbacks? Things are a little louder with the partial walls around the open office spaces, and a glare from the glass blocks is being worked on.

But "everyone seems happier," Gresham said.