Wells Fargo has begun remodeling offices at the company’s 160-acre Jordan Creek campus in West Des Moines in anticipation of relocating a large number of employees to the site.

Three building permits with a total value of $32.4 million have been issued to remodel spaces in buildings known as Canon Creek and Cedar Point. Each of the three permits was valued at $10.8 million, West Des Moines building permit records show.

The renovations include updating work spaces, meeting areas, cafés and activity areas.

Upgrades to dining areas and meeting spaces are among the remodeling projects underway at Wells Fargo's Jordan Creek campus in West Des Moines. Rendering special to the Business Record

Cafe areas will include tables and booths at which workers can gather during breaks. Rendering special to the Business Record

Places where Wells Fargo employees work and hold meetings are being updated at the company's Jordan Creek campus. Cafe areas will include tables and booths at which workers can gather during breaks. Rendering special to the Business Record

A map of Wells Fargo's Jordan Creek campus shows the layout of buildings and parking. Map courtesy of Wells Fargo

Activity areas at Wells Fargo's Jordan Creek campus are being refreshed with new colors and furniture. Cafe areas will include tables and booths at which workers can gather during breaks. Rendering special to the Business Record

Wells Fargo’s Jordan Creek campus includes six office buildings with over 1.1 million square feet of space. The buildings are connected by walkways or skywalks. All of the office buildings on the campus will have some remodeling work done in them, a company spokesperson said.

“This is an ongoing project with no firm end date,” said Michael Slusark, Wells Fargo’s lead communications consultant. “There are many renovations being considered or planned right now. … All of the campus will be touched in some way.”

In January, Wells Fargo told employees that the company planned on moving many of its downtown Des Moines workers to its West Des Moines location. A company official told employees that the move would occur “over the course of 2023.”

Wells Fargo employees from other offices in the Des Moines area are also being relocated to the Jordan Creek campus, located on the southeast corner of Mills Civic and South Jordan Creek parkways. When the relocations are complete, between 10,000 and 11,000 employees will be located at the campus, Slusark said.

The Canon Creek building was part of the first phase of construction at Jordan Creek campus; employees began working there in 2005. The Cedar Point building was constructed in a later phase; employees began working in the building in 2015.

The remodeling project includes reconfiguring office spaces to accommodate hybrid work schedules, Slusark said. Some Wells Fargo employees work in the office at least three days a week and remotely the other two days. Other workers alternate working in the office and remotely on a weekly basis.

“People with flexible work arrangements won’t necessarily have an assigned desk,” Slusark said. “When these spaces were originally designed, employees were in the office all of the time. … We want these spaces designed to meet the needs of the different types of employees we have today.”

Break rooms at the Jordan Creek campus are also being remodeled. Most of the spaces are being “refreshed with new designs and new colors,” Slusark said. “The updates will make the spaces look nicer.”

Wells Fargo is the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. with $1.69 trillion in assets, according to the Federal Reserve.

Jordan Creek campus amenities
Wells Fargo’s Jordan Creek campus offers employees amenities not found in all of the company’s other properties. The array of amenities offered is one reason officials cited for relocating most of its employees to the site. The amenities include:

·        Two cafeterias with indoor and outdoor seating  
·        Two coffee shops, as well as free coffee through the buildings
·        Grab-and-go food options
·        Fitness center
·        Free parking
·        Walking trails around the ponds on the campus
·        A vegetable garden in which employees can volunteer to grow food that is donated to local food banks