The green light to move into the old J.C. Penney building in Downtown Evansville took longer than expected. But Barry Blackard and Dennis Brinkmeyer found it was worth the wait.
It took a year of planning, designing, constructing, and remodeling before Blackard & Brinkmeyer Attorneys, located at 512 Main St., became a reality. Blackard took the lead on the vision of the office space as he worked with Sarah Schuler of VPS Architecture.
Blackard & Brinkmeyer Attorneys practices criminal and family law. In December 2013, Blackard, a death penalty certified criminal trial lawyer and former felony public defender, and Brinkmeyer, who has nearly 40 years of experience focusing on criminal and family law, joined to form the practice. Blackard left the Vanderburgh County Public Defender Agency to become founder and managing member of Blackard & Brinkmeyer, while Brinkmeyer left private practice.
“We looked at a couple different spaces, before deciding on the old J.C. Penney building. I’m a big proponent of Downtown Evansville,” says Blackard. “It would be hypocritical of me to not do something myself. You have to do your part.”
Before the renovation, the office space was 1,650 square feet of empty space, gutted with concrete floors and brick walls, Blackard says.
“It was really a blank canvas to work with,” he says. “I wanted a really clean and professional look.”
Completed in January 2014, the final product includes a reception area, three offices, and a conference room. A receptionist greets clients in the open room with a large black and red area rug over the gray porcelain wood tile flooring. The hanging lighting, with circular lampshades of red, black, and white, can be adjusted for brightness and dimmed.
The walls are hand-painted with thick stripes of two gray shades, one dark and one light, which follow the length of the hallway. The Blackard & Brinkmeyer Attorneys’ logo, designed by Blackard, can be found throughout the office space.
The office extends to a long hallway on the left with a storage room for files, a glass conference room with a large wooden desk and white leather chairs. Open each large wooden door to find offices for Brinkmeyer, followed by Karie Kempf, paralegal, and Blackard at the end of the hallway.
“We wanted the office to reflect professionalism,” says Brinkmeyer. “We want people to see it as modern, but interesting.”
For more information about Blackard & Brinkmeyer Attorneys, call 812-423-3125 or visit blackardbrinkmeyer.com.
