Paul Rupprecht, left, and Mark Rupprecht in a new conference room that will be available to tenants at Regency West Office Park in West Des Moines. The conference room is among more than $1 million in amenities added at the office park, owned by R&R Realty Group. Photo by Duane Tinkey

R&R Realty Group, which owns more than 3 million square feet of office space in the Des Moines area, is investing more than $1 million in new amenities at its Regency West Office Park.

The amenities, which include a state-of-the-art fitness center and automated coffee shop, are important not only in enticing workers back to the office but also in helping employers attract new employees and luring new companies to Central Iowa, said Mark Rupprecht, president of R&R Realty Group.

The pandemic created a work-from-home culture with many workers enjoying the absence of commuting, the ability to work outside or with windows open, and limited oversight from bosses. Now, as an increasing number of people become vaccinated, companies along with office space owners are attempting to make working in an office appealing.

When workers weren’t in the office, business owners said amenities weren’t important, Rupprecht said. “Now they’re saying, ‘We think amenities are even more important than [before the pandemic]. Business leaders are saying they need to get workers back to the office, and they have to retain the workers they have and attract new ones.”

R&R Realty Group, which in 2012 acquired Regency West Office Park at 4700 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, is making the upgrades to Buildings 7 and 8, including:

* Creation of modern collaborative spaces with germ-resistant materials and space for social distancing.

* A fourth-floor veranda that will bring the outdoors in with large, operational windows that open with the press of a button.

* A “grab and go” market that will provide food and beverage options for workers.

* A multipurpose room with space for social distancing in which businesses can host training sessions, meetings and social events. Also, a smaller executive conference room that will seat up to 20 people and feature the latest in A/V technology.

* A wellness room for nursing mothers.

In addition, color-changing LED exterior lighting will be installed this summer that will provide greater visibility of the park from Interstate Highway 235 and Westown Parkway. New monument and wayfinding signage also will be installed.

Employees of tenants in the 623,000-square-foot office park will have access to the new features, most of which are in place.

The amenities are being added in space that previously had been occupied by Sammons Financial Group, which moved into a newly built facility on Mills City Parkway in West Des Moines.

The new collaboration spaces are important features, Paul Rupprecht, president of R&R Real Estate Advisors, said.

“We’ve talked with a lot of people who have said, ‘I’ve got to get people back to the office. I’ve got to provide programming that excites our people,’” he said. “We think these are the things that will help get those workers back to the office.”

Top photo: A new fitness center includes a variety of treadmills, elliptical machines and Peloton exercise bikes.
 Photo by Duane Tinkey

A fourth-floor Veranda includes windows that will open, letting in fresh air, as well as space for small-group meetings and after-work gatherings. “This could be something we incorporate in some of our other buildings,” Paul Rupprecht, president of R&R Real Estate Advisors, said. Rendering provided by R&R Realty Group