The civil engineering firm Foth is settling into its new space in the recently restored Carpenter Building at 106 S.W. Seventh St. They are one of six tenants who call the former paper company building home.

The building, constructed in 1918, was bought by Clocktower Wolf LLC in April 2022 for $3.25 million from EMC Insurance Cos., which previously used the 50,000-square-foot building to store documents. Ownership was later transferred to 106 7th St. LLC on Jan. 31, 2023.

Since then, the building has been converted into Class A office space, said Tim Rypma, one of the managers of 106 7th St. LLC.

The building is 50,000 square feet with about 12,500 square feet per floor. It also features a fitness center and showers, a conference room that is available to all tenants, and a game room.

The other tenants are the Zenor Law Firm, which is housed on the former paper company’s fourth floor, Rip Roar Events LLC and Capital View Dentistry, which have offices on the first floor, as well as Rive Pilates and Allstate Insurance, which have offices on the building’s lower level. Foth occupies the second and third floors of the building.

Josh DeBower, senior client team leader for Foth’s Des Moines office, said his team is settling in well since it began moving into its new space in late August.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “It’s very bright and open, and the historic preservation is top notch.”

It’s a big difference from its previous offices in a 1980s-style building that had no natural light, DeBower said.

Besides the bright, airy space that accentuates the historic wood columns and brick walls, location and parking were big factors in Foth’s decision to lease space in the building, he said.

“We wanted to make sure all our members had access to walking to restaurants and other activities downtown,” he said.

The move also led to several team members moving downtown.

It also allows his staff to park for evening and weekend activities, such as the Downtown Farmers Market, DeBower said.

“That type of amenity during the weekend was a big sell,” he said.

For more background on the building and the effort to restore it click here.

Photos show the renovated interior of the Carpenter Building at 106 S.W. Seventh Street.