Wade and Jessica Short wanted to continue the legacy of Wade’s mother, who had operated a successful dance school in various locations around the south metro for many years. With the help of Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates, they will soon open the doors of a brand-new facility for instruction in dance and the musical arts on family-owned land in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
The 8,500-square foot facility features two stories of dance studios, music instruction rooms, waiting areas and administrative offices for the Short Dance Studios company, which offers classes in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. and New Richmond, Wisc.
KOMA project manager Jon LeNoble was responsible for the day-to-day activities for the new building, along with Dan O’Brien as the principal-in-charge. Sheehy Construction served as the general contractor. “For this project, square footage was very important,” says Jon. “They needed large, expansive rooms for the dance studios, and lots of space for private lessons as well.” The Shorts also had to work within their existing studio lease time frame, and KOMA helped keep their project on schedule by choosing construction materials and methods that would lead to a faster construction timeline.
“With careful planning and close attention to their budget constraints, we were able to provide services from start to finish – including schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction administration – that gave the Shorts exactly what they need to take the next step in the growth of their business,” says Jon.
The certificate of occupancy is expected to be finalized in mid-February. And when that happens, the wall of trophies at the current studio will finally grace a building that symbolizes the multi-generational Short family commitment to arts education.