New life breathed into former Skate City site
Skate City will be come a hub of activity with a new headquarters opening in the old building today.
Toowoomba
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THE former Skate City building has found a new purpose with Yellow Bridge QLD opening its new headquarters there today.
The not-for-profit organisation employs 130 staff and assists more than 6000 people every year with services across disability support, housing, youth homelessness and aged care.
YellowBridge Qld chief executive officer Penny Hamilton said bringing staff together in a single location had been on their wish list for the past three years.
She said finding the right property to accommodate a mixture of office-based employees and a lawn mowing team with machinery fleets had not been easy.
"We have staff who currently work in different locations and rarely get the opportunity to connect and work alongside each other," Ms Hamilton said. "Bringing everyone together will have enormous benefits and help us to be more efficient and collaborative.
"It will also help us to deliver a more streamlined process to our clients and service partners.
"We are very excited to be finally in our new home that has been the site of many happy and memorable experiences for local people.
"Nearly everyone we speak to has a story or memory about skating at the venue."
Known as YB Central, the building retains many of the former skating rink's unique features such as the sunken skating rink, exposed structural steel frame and sign-writing.
The open plan office area also features a giant wall mural created by Toowoomba visual artist Bronte Naylor.
"We've created a fun, relaxed and vibrant workplace that suits our style, size, and needs," Ms Hamilton said.
"We're happy we could retain some of the former building's character and history in the process."
The successful renovation project involved local contractors, tradesmen and suppliers. The renovation was designed by Aspect Architects and completed by Lavish Constructions with the help of many Toowoomba subcontractors.