By Mike Pare
Staff Writer
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s new headquarters will not create an isolated fortress on Cameron Hill but rather tie into the rest of downtown Chattanooga, officials said Thursday.
BlueCross' plans detailed “We want to be connected to the city,” said Turan Duda of Duda/Paine Architects, who laid out the plans for the $299 million complex.
The 950,000-square-foot corporate office will have a series of walkways down the hill to help link workers to downtown businesses in addition to north and south roads for auto traffic, he said.
Also, BlueCross is in talks with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and city and county officials to try to quicken a remake of U.S. Highway 27 that should enhance connectivity, said Bob Worthington, a BlueCross vice president.
“We’re asking them to speed it up,” he said about the road project. He said the insurer expects to have well over 4,000 workers, or nearly 10 percent more than it now does, when the campus opens in about two and a half years.
Roger Staubach, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback whose company will manage the huge construction job, said his business knows the value of project management. Construction is set to begin in September on the corporate campus, which will house BlueCross employees now scattered among 10 Chattanooga buildings.
“We partner with the user,” Mr. Staubach said.
Mr. Duda said the complex will have four office buildings, or spokes, which surround a central space, or what he termed “a town center.” Covered walkways and sky bridges will connect the buildings.
“There’s nothing like this anywhere,” said the Durham, N.C.-based designer.
The glass-and-brick, five-story buildings won’t be pushed up against the brow of the hill, he said. Officials said BlueCross President Vicky Gregg didn’t want a monument, but rather an efficient work place.
A 4,100-space, eight-level parking garage built into the plan will be placed in the south end of the hill, which slopes down, said Kevin McDowell, a Staubach Co. vice president who was reared in Chattanooga.
“We’ll cut the deck into the side of the hill,” he said.
Dan Jacobson, vice president of properties for the Chattanooga-based health insurer, said a team has been helping plan the project in what he termed “a peace room” in contrast to a so-called war room. He said the company has tried to reach out to workers for input.
“We feel strongly this has added significant value,” Mr. Jacobson said.
The headquarters plan, which was rolled out to Chattanooga Rotarians, drew upbeat reactions.
Attorney Carl Hartley said BlueCross appears to have gone to lengths to make the complex a part of downtown.
“It was very well thought out,” he said.
Mike High, a former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor, said the city needs to see more of the corporate headquarters jobs BlueCross offers.
“That’s a real benefit to the city,” he said.
Officials said BlueCross plans to self-finance the project through its reserves and it won’t impact insurance premiums. BlueCross officials said the company will save on overhead costs due to merging its operations into one place.
A small park that now exists at the north entrance at the top of the hill will be reconfigured, Mr. Duda said, and there will be “a heritage center” near the site.
For future expansion beyond the new campus, BlueCross officials said they are looking to the site of its building located in the Golden Gateway just down from Cameron Hill.
E-mail Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com
Staff Writer
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s new headquarters will not create an isolated fortress on Cameron Hill but rather tie into the rest of downtown Chattanooga, officials said Thursday.
BlueCross' plans detailed “We want to be connected to the city,” said Turan Duda of Duda/Paine Architects, who laid out the plans for the $299 million complex.
The 950,000-square-foot corporate office will have a series of walkways down the hill to help link workers to downtown businesses in addition to north and south roads for auto traffic, he said.
Also, BlueCross is in talks with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and city and county officials to try to quicken a remake of U.S. Highway 27 that should enhance connectivity, said Bob Worthington, a BlueCross vice president.
“We’re asking them to speed it up,” he said about the road project. He said the insurer expects to have well over 4,000 workers, or nearly 10 percent more than it now does, when the campus opens in about two and a half years.
Roger Staubach, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback whose company will manage the huge construction job, said his business knows the value of project management. Construction is set to begin in September on the corporate campus, which will house BlueCross employees now scattered among 10 Chattanooga buildings.
“We partner with the user,” Mr. Staubach said.
Mr. Duda said the complex will have four office buildings, or spokes, which surround a central space, or what he termed “a town center.” Covered walkways and sky bridges will connect the buildings.
“There’s nothing like this anywhere,” said the Durham, N.C.-based designer.
The glass-and-brick, five-story buildings won’t be pushed up against the brow of the hill, he said. Officials said BlueCross President Vicky Gregg didn’t want a monument, but rather an efficient work place.
A 4,100-space, eight-level parking garage built into the plan will be placed in the south end of the hill, which slopes down, said Kevin McDowell, a Staubach Co. vice president who was reared in Chattanooga.
“We’ll cut the deck into the side of the hill,” he said.
Dan Jacobson, vice president of properties for the Chattanooga-based health insurer, said a team has been helping plan the project in what he termed “a peace room” in contrast to a so-called war room. He said the company has tried to reach out to workers for input.
“We feel strongly this has added significant value,” Mr. Jacobson said.
The headquarters plan, which was rolled out to Chattanooga Rotarians, drew upbeat reactions.
Attorney Carl Hartley said BlueCross appears to have gone to lengths to make the complex a part of downtown.
“It was very well thought out,” he said.
Mike High, a former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor, said the city needs to see more of the corporate headquarters jobs BlueCross offers.
“That’s a real benefit to the city,” he said.
Officials said BlueCross plans to self-finance the project through its reserves and it won’t impact insurance premiums. BlueCross officials said the company will save on overhead costs due to merging its operations into one place.
A small park that now exists at the north entrance at the top of the hill will be reconfigured, Mr. Duda said, and there will be “a heritage center” near the site.
For future expansion beyond the new campus, BlueCross officials said they are looking to the site of its building located in the Golden Gateway just down from Cameron Hill.
E-mail Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com
