After four years of planning, the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce celebrated the groundbreaking of its new facility the morning of Oct. 3. The new 8,000-square-foot building will be located at 381 W. Byron Nelson Blvd., Roanoke, just a few miles up the road from the current facility at 600 E. Byron Nelson. The new two-story building will offer more than 2,000 square feet of office space for the chamber’s eight-member team as well as a boardroom and three conference rooms. The building will also have amenities for chamber members, including 3,000 square feet of coworking space and 1,100 square feet of furnished offices available for lease. Audiovisual equipment will also be available as will a coffee bar. According to chamber president and CEO Sally Aldridge, the chamber outgrew its current space much sooner than expected. Once complete, the new facility is expected to give the chamber the room it needs to continue growing. The area is now home to more than 60,000 jobs, and the chamber has 520 members, Aldridge said. Thirty years ago, the chamber started out representing only the city of Roanoke, but it now represents six other communities as well: Argyle, Haslet, Justin, Northlake, Trophy Club and Westlake. “I’ve watched [Roanoke] grow from a small number of people,” Roanoke Mayor Scooter Gierisch said at the ceremony. “At one time our population was the same as the area code—817. It is kind of cool to see those numbers grow, and this area has just exploded.” The new facility is expected to be complete by spring 2020, Aldridge said. RGA Architects is the designing architect for the new building. A total construction cost has not been determined at this time, according to Aldridge, but to help with funding, the chamber is working on a capital campaign to raise funds for construction, furniture, equipment and rebranding at the new building. The goal is to raise $600,000 over the next three years. Those interested in leasing offices at the new building can contact Aldridge at 817-837-1000. To learn more about the chamber, visit www.nwmetroportchamber.org.