URBAN THINKING

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Weekend Attractions

While at the Downtown Farmers Market this morning a friend and I stopped by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art to see Grant Wood’s original full scale drawing of his design for the 24 by 20 foot stained glass window at the Veterans Memorial Building. The window was just reinstalled at the beginning of the summer after being repaired and restored following the flood. Also on current display in the museum were several artifacts from the National Czech and Slovak Museum. The Museum of Art is a fine facility with an impressive collection. Admission is free this summer for all visitors with support from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust and United Fire Group.

We then walked down along the river to Czech Village to see the new flood exhibit at the Czech Museum‘s temporary space in the Kosek Building at 87 Sixteenth Ave SW. The small, but thorough exhibit features a brief history on the Czech and Slovak immigration to Cedar Rapids, the neighborhoods they formed here, and an extensive display about the flood. Like most things in the city’s history, the Sinclair meatpacking plant played a major role, first attracting Czech and Slovak immigrants to Cedar Rapids for work.

The Czech Museum draws visitors from around the country and world – there was a family visiting from Czech Republic while we were there. The museum is really worth a visit – the exhibit is engaging and the temporary space looks very attractive. And while in the neighborhood, stop by Sykora Bakery for a delicious kolache – they come fresh and with friendly service.

City Updates – July 14

July 14, 2010 / Brady Dorman / Comments Off

New weekly update on news and development in the City of Five Seasons. It’s time to enjoy.

New Transit Buses
Tomorrow, July 15, CR Transit will begin running four new 35 foot, 2010 Gillig Lowfloor buses, that arrived July 2. Part of an effort to finally modernize the system fleet, this order follows the first order of brand new buses last summer, along with an additional five coming next year.

For years Cedar Rapids purchased only used and refurbished buses, which had more mechanical issues and were less attractive to riders. Having modern, new buses is critical to improving the system, but CR Transit still has a long path to becoming a better transit system fit for Cedar Rapids’ size.

CR Transit will have one of the new buses on display during the Kernels game this Saturday, July 17, from 3:30 – 5:30pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act. Fans can check out the new bus and is an opportunity for people who have never ridden the bus to see how easy and convenient it can be.

Medical District News
In a finely-worded press release this week, two public meetings were announced for August regarding PCI’s Medical Mall development. Earlier this year PCI proposed closing 2nd Avenue SE between 10th and 12th streets, claiming it was the only configuration they could fit all their programs without disrupting ground level connectivity (despite two adjacent blocks that are proposed to be surface parking in their plan). Initially most members of the City Council seemed cool with this, giving PCI a favorable impression to their proposal, but heavy public opposition soon followed. Most vocal citizens are concerned with the traffic effects of closing off 2nd Avenue and the cost required to convert 3rd Avenue into two ways. I am opposed to the street closure, not for vehicular traffic, but the barrier it will create between downtown and the surrounding residential neighborhood and disruption to the urban pattern. (I will argue this position more precisely in a later post.) The meetings will be held at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom on Wednesday, August 4, from 4 – 7pm, and Thursday, August 5, from 11am – 1pm.

Also, the City Council is likely to approve spending $124,336, for Alliant Energy to burry power lines along 7th Street E from A Ave NE to 8th Ave SE, in anticipation of future streetscaping along the street related to Medical District improvements. From Rick Smith’s City Room blog: “According to a city staff report to the council, Interstate Power and Light Co. needs to install a new transmission line along Seventh Street SE, and putting it underground would cost the city less now than to do it later. The city has agreed it would pay the extra cost to move lines underground, the staff report notes.” These improvements will help improve the aesthetic of the new Medical District and the area around downtown.

Events Center Development
A design team of OPN Architects, Ellerbe Becket and tvsdesign has been selected for the new Cedar Rapids Events Center, which will include a renovation and expansion of the existing US Cellular Center and a large addition housing new meeting and exhibit space. 3rd Street NE will be closed between 1st and A avenues and then new addition will occupy that space and half of the adjacent block, wrapping around behind the Roosevelt Hotel. Most likely the Roosevelt parking garage facing 1st Avenue will remain as well. This is a truly exciting project for downtown Cedar Rapids and will provide much needed upgrades to our convention facilities to attract more events and people downtown. The project timeline set out by the city is quite swift with construction to begin late next summer and be complete by the end of 2012. Keep up on the Events Center progress on the City’s CR Progress webpage.

Juvenile Justice Center Groundbreaking
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place this morning in the 800 block of 2nd Street SW for the new Linn County Juvenile Justice Center, which will house juvenile courts and related services that were formerly in the basement of the county courthouse on Mays Island. The building design was by Design Dynamics Inc. of Cedar Rapids; rendering below.

Witwer Building + Downtown Hotels

July 11, 2010 / Brady Dorman / 2 Comments

Witwer Building, Cedar Rapids

The Witwer Building at 303 2nd Ave SE in downtown Cedar Rapids was originally the Post Office and Federal Building when built in 1908. (The original structure actually dates back to the 1890s, but was completely rebuilt in a different style in 1908.) It is currently owned by Linn County and housed community service-related offices and a senior center before the flood. The county now has plans to sell the building, which presents some compelling redevelopment opportunities. For instance, County Supervisor Linda Langston announced last week that a developer had been looking at the site for a boutique hotel at one point. However, she noted it is now more likely the building would be made into offices. Despite this reality, let’s entertain the hotel idea for a moment.

A small, boutique hotel in downtown could help increase nightlife activity downtown and the uniqueness of it would be attractive to certain visitors who otherwise would not stay at a hotel in downtown. The building itself seems appropriately sized to accommodate 10-15 guest rooms and perhaps a restaurant or upscale lounge on the first level. The site is at a very good location to synergize with other downtown attractions. Within a two block range is Theatre Cedar Rapids, the Paramount Theatre, the US Cellular Center and future Cedar Rapids Events Center, along with some existing bars and restaurants.

In addition to more housing, it is important to diversify the kinds of amenities and attractions in downtown to create a more lively, 24-hour neighborhood. While a specialty hotel seems pretty unlikely at this point, if one were to be developed, I’d be cautious to doubt its potential for success, as similar ventures have worked very well in other comparable cities.

A great example of a new high-end niche hotel succeeding in a modest midwestern downtown is the Hotel Donaldson in Fargo, North Dakota. The “HoDo” was built in 1894 as a meeting hall, and opened as a hotel around 1915 when a third floor was added. Deteriorated over the decades, Karen Stoker bought the hotel in 2000 and renewed the building into a modern upscale hotel with 17 guest rooms, a high-end restaurant and lounge, and a variety of small meeting spaces including the “Sky Prairie” rooftop garden. Since its rebirth the Hotel Donaldson has been very successful and a pivotal part of Fargo’s downtown revitalization. There is also a dominant Radisson Hotel in downtown Fargo, plus a mid-level Howard Johnson on the edge – similar to Cedar Rapids’ arrangement with the Crowne Plaza and Coppers Mill Hotel.

In the past downtown Cedar Rapids was home to several hotels as it was the active hub of the city and for the decades the grand entry for visitors at Union Station, which most tragically was demolished in 1961, and replaced with a parking garage. Nearby the station and along the 4th Street tracks were a number of large hotels. Between 1st and 2nd avenues, sat the Allison Hotel and Magnus Hotel, both handsome, five-story brick buildings adjacent to the tracks. Unlike today, the corridor of tracks were responded to by buildings much like they would to normal street facades.

Unfortunately nearly all the original buildings along the tracks are now gone and nearly all remain as vacant lots or lifeless parking structures. The half-block site where the Allison and Magnus hotels stood is now the parking lot next to TCR that had been used for a number of years for the BBQ Round Up. Other nearby downtown hotels included the four-story Taft Hotel on 2nd Avenue next to the tracks and the six-story Montrose Hotel at the corner of 3rd Ave and 3rd Street SE. The Taft Hotel is now a parking lot behind the art museum and the Montrose Hotel was replaced by the five-story Town Centre office building around 1990.

Allison Hotel, downtown Cedar Rapids Magnus Hotel, downtown Cedar Rapids
Allison Hotel (left) and Magnus Hotel sat along the 4th Street tracks between 1st and 2nd avenues.

Taft Hotel, downtown Cedar Rapids Montrose Hotel, downtown Cedar Rapids
The Taft Hotel (left) was on 2nd Avenue SE east of the 4th Street tracks. The Montrose Hotel was located at 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue SE.

The historic hotel photographs are taken from Then & Now: Cedar Rapids Downtown and Beyond by George T. Henry and Mark W. Hunter, excerpts available on Google books.

City Updates – July 6

July 6, 2010 / Brady Dorman / Comments Off

More news and views from Cedar Rapids:

Freedom Festival
The Freedom Festival fireworks returned to downtown this 4th of July, after a two year hiatus following the flood of 2008. It was great having the fireworks back downtown, but unfortunately they were launched from the green space on Mays Island, rather than a small barge as in years past, so the island and both 2nd and 3rd avenue bridges were closed off to spectators. Mays Island and the two bridges have long been center of fireworks festivities with food vendors lining the bridges and a band stand set up on the green. It is one of the only times our civic island is actually used anymore. Most days it sits empty and lifeless, extending the divide between our east and west, rather than uniting them through a grand civic park it once was.

According to Russ Oviatt, Freedom Festival operations director, “The launch site change was necessitated after the existing barge arrangement that had been used for a number of years was no longer an option.” No explanation for why the barge is no longer an option, but it sounds likely this will be the case from now on.

From Freedom Festival executive director Janet Wilhelm, “It’s not unexpected that even though the Celebration of Freedom fireworks are returning to downtown Cedar Rapids this year, it will take several years to establish a new “traditional” downtown venue.”

I hope another launch site can be found in downtown. Cedar Rapids undoubtedly has one of the best fireworks celebrations in the region – it would be a real shame to stop taking advantage of our unique island venue, that has united east and west neighbors on the 4th of July for years.

In other fireworks news, the Ellis Fireworks also returned this year, put on by the Cedar Rapids Boat Club. The annual display traditionally held on July 3 near Ellis Park along the Cedar River, was postponed in 2008 following the flood and was cancelled in 2009 due to ongoing flood recovery efforts in the surrounding neighborhood.

Czech Village Roundhouse
Business leaders in Czech Village hope to raise over $2 million to rebuild the Riverside Roundhouse, elevated on a new concrete-deck with parking underneath. The Roundhouse was built in 1962, in Czech Village and used for a farmers market until it was moved downtown in 2007. Following the flood neighborhood business owners dismantled the steel structural skeleton and put it into storage with intentions to reconstruct it someday. The former site will now be occupied by the National Czech and Slovak Museum building, which will be moved and elevated from its current adjacent site, on the banks of the Cedar River between 12th and 16th avenues SW.

Proposed Czech Village Roundhouse, from Ament, Inc.
Czech Village Roundhouse rendering by Ament, Inc.

The proposed new Roundhouse site is at 17th Avenue and B Street SW, which is to the south behind the main commercial strip of 16th Avenue between A Street and C Street SW. The proposal, devised by Ament, Inc., would place the reconstructed Roundhouse atop a 14,400 square foot concrete deck with parking space for 24 cars underneath at ground level. The rendering above, created by Ament, Inc., shows the proposal. Business owner Alex Anderson who is spearheading the fundraising effort says the building will be used for Czech Village events and hopes to be completed by 2012.

I am not against this project, but I question its feasibility and cost-benefit. While saving the Roundhouse is a noble venture, it seems unreasonable to spend that much money to elevate a building that is little more than a steel skeleton with a minimal interior finish. Construction of the concrete deck for the building to sit on would constitute the bulk of the $2 million cost, and an elevator to make it universally accessible would cost $250,000, according to the Gazette.

An alternative would be to reconstruct the Roundhouse at grade (even built up a few feet) with awareness of potential future flooding. This would eliminate the enormous cost of the concrete deck and the need for an elevator (which would be affected by flooding regardless). Think of what else that same amount of money could be spent on in the village. Read more on the Gazette.

Mexican Restaurants Downtown
The history of the Brosh Funeral Home and Chapel building in New Bohemia became clearer last week when 83 year-old Harvey Viall came forward with his story and photos of working at the building in the early 1950s when it was a station for the Denver-Chicago Trucking Company, which had transported weapons and other goods for the military during World War II.

Two weeks ago the owner of Papa Juan’s/Stefano’s announced he wants to open a new Mexican restaurant in the building, but cannot afford to without historic tax credits and exemption from raising the building above the 2008 flood level, which would only be available if the building is granted “contributing” historical status. A new application is now being sent in for historic status based on its connection to World War II. If approved, plans are to invest $900,000 in renovations and have the new restaurant open for business within four months of obtaining permits. Read more here from the Gazette.

Further north in downtown, another new Mexican restaurant is planned for ground floor space in the Berthel Fisher & Co. building at the corner of First Avenue and Second Street SE. La Cantina will open just a few doors down from the long-standing Gringos Mexican restaurant on First Avenue. A new restaurant here is positive news for improving the vitality and activeness of downtown.

First Street Parkade
The nearly 50 year-old First Street Parkade downtown will be demolished soon. Read more at Urban Corridor.

Brucemore Balloon Glow

July 1, 2010 / Brady Dorman / 1 Comment

The annual Freedom Festival Balloon Glow was tonight at Brucemore. Five hot air balloons adorned the expansive lawn along First Avenue, along with a live band stand and several food and beverage vendor stands. There was a great crowd out tonight on a very comfortable summer evening. Events like these are fun for all ages and make Cedar Rapids an attractive place to live.

See my other photos of the Balloon Glow here.

25 Year Old Library Time Capsule Opened Today

June 30, 2010 / Brady Dorman / 3 Comments

The time capsule at the now former Cedar Rapids Public Library was uncovered and opened this morning (Tuesday, June 29) after being buried since 1985, when the library building was built. Evidently it took several years of trying to pass a super-majority vote by citizens to fund the new library, which replaced the original Carnegie Library location at 3rd Avenue and 5th Street SE, now a part of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

The capsule was buried about five feet down, under a triangular planter near the main entrance. The contents, which were all paper materials (brochures, books, newspapers, etc.), were put in a cardboard box, wrapped in a plastic garbage bag, and placed in a baby casket. The casket had begun deteriorating and clearly had filled with water during the flood. All the contents were damp with several areas of mold growth, but in surprisingly good shape for sitting wet for the past two years.

The materials were laid out to look through and view by those attending before being taken to be frozen to halt anymore mold growth until they can be sorted and restored. Contents included a White & Yellow Pages phone book (obviously much more used back in ’85), brochures and literature about most of the local non-profit organizations and cultural venues, some local post cards, and the most interesting documents – reports and plans for major civic projects underway at the time. There was a report on the new airport terminal – which opened up a year later in 1986 – with some fantastic concept renderings of the inside and the front. Unfortunately I could not open to see the inside due to its current condition.

About ten to fifteen people showed up for the time capsule opening, about half from the local news media. Ted [unsure of last name] who was the architect for the 1985 library building was there at the beginning. I was able to talk with him for a few minutes, which was very interesting. He told me about his former firm, Brown Healy Stone & Sauer, which later merged with Howard R Green Co in 2001, after he had already retired.

The opening of the time capsule was the last remnant of the library at this building and site. It functioned as a library for only 23 years from 1985 to 2008, and will now be transformed into an office facility for TrueNorth. While the development of a new central library across from Green Square Park is exciting and ultimately, probably the best decision for the Library’s future, the existing building will always be appreciated for its role as our central library for the past quarter-century. The reinvention of the building into something new, serving a different role, is similar to the story of the old Carnegie Library, which now houses the gift shop, activity rooms, and offices for the art museum. By keeping the building and reusing it, even with additions and aesthetic alterations, its contextual, cultural, and new historical value is preserved for future generations.

The photo above is from the Cedar Rapids Public Library’ Facebook album. See more time capsule photos here.

Note to Bus Driver: Stay Cool, Be Cool

June 28, 2010 / Brady Dorman / 4 Comments

Today coming home from work I had a different bus driver than normal on Route 3. Driving eastbound on 3rd Avenue, a few blocks out of downtown, an SUV from out-of-state pulled out in front of the bus, only to immediately turn into the next driveway. The bus driver, of course, had to slow down, but instead of simple braking a little until the path was clear, she laid on the horn. It was completely uncalled-for, overaggressive and unprofessional.

I have experienced other incidents while riding CR Transit where drivers overreact and honk their horn if a car pulls in front of them or cuts them off. This can be frustrating – just as it can be for any other driver – or cyclist or pedestrian. But driving a 35-40 foot long, multi-ton bus safely and responsibly demands some restraint and a simple assumption that other drivers on the road aren’t paying as much attention as they should be. Honking the horn out of frustration, rather than an actual imminent hazard can be dangerous and make buses look like “bullies” and can give people a negative connotation about transit and bus drivers in particular – especially those who are being honked at.

The vast majority of drivers at CR Transit are safe, courteous and professional, however, as a bus driver myself with CyRide, l do notice a different driver culture and a higher tolerance of aggressive behavior. As a passenger these incidents degrade the quality of service and my impression of the system.

Rawn Architecture

June 25, 2010 / Brady Dorman / Comments Off

The new US Courthouse under construction in downtown Cedar Rapids was designed by OPN Architects and William Rawn Associates of Boston, Massachusetts. William Rawn is a very distinguished architect, considered one of the top architects in the country with countless awards and honors to reference. Despite his wide scope of work including several well-known and prominent buildings, he seems to be more modest and understated than other prominent architects who have attained fame outside of the industry for their signature design pedigrees.

William Rawn Associates is a surprisingly small firm with just over 30 professionals, with an impressive portfolio. Since discovering the firm I have always had an appreciation for their work. Clarity of design and attention to materiality and details sets the firm apart. I really enjoy the way wood is used in so many of their proejcts, especially in the form of horizontal slats for sun shading or screening. These will be incorporated into Cedar Rapids’ new courthouse for sun screening and aesthetics purposes in the courtrooms.

Below is a link to an article from last year in the Boston Globe profiling William Rawn and his impressive career. He designs beautiful buildings that also function well and serve the client’s needs. Cedar Rapids is fortunate to have Rawn collaborating on such an important new building.

> Boston Globe: The Architecture of William Rawn
> William Rawn Associates

First Avenue Bikeway

June 25, 2010 / Brady Dorman / 3 Comments

As Cedar Rapids hopes to become a more bike friendly community there are several issues that must be addressed. Biking is increasingly being looked at as a legitimate means of transportation for commuting and other trips within a few miles. While there are some city neighborhoods extremely condusive to biking and a few longer distance trails, connectivity gaps still remain for cyclists – sometimes only perceived, but usually a matter of access and safety as well.

Urban Connectivity
Most of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, especially on the east side (which I am admittedly more familiar with) are excellent for cycling. A cohesive urban street grid diffuses traffic and makes it easy to go from point A to point B more directly. Just like driving, it also provides more options in case a street is closed for roadwork or there is heavier traffic, more obstacles, etc. 2nd and 3rd avenues on the the southeast side provide excellent access in and out of downtown. With only a few traffic lights they each make for a quick and easy “express” ride. Both streets are fairly wide and would have plenty of room for a designated bike lane, but in my opinion, they are not necessary. With three to four travel lanes in each direction and generally low traffic levels, it is safe enough for cyclists to occupy an entire lane and drivers are usually respectful. Unfortunately these avenues terminate at 19th Street. A shifted grid of streets provides several safe and direct connections to the southeast neighborhoods east of Wellington Heights, around Bever Park and Mt. Vernon Road.

However access from this area further north “east” to the mid Northeast quadrant (approximately between 19th Street and 40th Street) is full of gaps. Beyond 19th Street there aren’t really any continuous streets running parallel to 1st Avenue. It is possible to weave through some minor streets north of First Avenue beginning around Coe, past Franklin Middle School, and up to the Kenwood Park neighborhood, but this can be very out of the way, depending on your destination, and passes over a number hills.

The Cedar River Trail that runs from southwest Cedar Rapids, through downtown, and further north along I-380 is the more recommended and suitable bike route from downtown. It is a a quick and safe link from down to the far north end of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, and beyond, all the way to Waterloo along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. Unfortunately the trail has very poor access to most of the neighborhoods it passes by – much of the mid Northeast side – which also suffers from a severe lack of sidewalks. It is not uncommon for people living less than a mile away to drive to the trail instead of just bike or walk there.

In my own experience biking from home near Lindale Ave and 30th Street, to downtown I usually take B Avenue NE for a number of blocks before crossing First Ave, or I cross First Ave sooner and take Forest Drive through the winding streets of southeast to meet up with 2nd / 3rd avenue corridors. Sometimes I just ride along First Avenue on the sidewalk and then typically shift over the 2nd Ave to avoid some stop lights and cross traffic. Except for having to ride on the sidewalk (especially beyond 19th Street where there are no parking lanes) I generally prefer this route because it is quick, feels most direct, and is actually a fairly interesting corridor with a wide range of urbanism in a relatively short distance.

New Bikeway
A designated bikeway along the First Avenue corridor through Cedar Rapids could begin to link these existing gaps and could create new connections to Marion and several periphery neighborhoods. There is currently no safe or efficient route to bike from Marion into Cedar Rapids. A bikeway running between downtown or 19th Street all the way to central Marion would provide a direct link between the two cities and many residential areas in between, especially the mid Northeast neighborhoods such as Kenwood Park. After all the distance is really not that great – only 4.5 – 5 miles downtown CR to downtown Marion – but the current road design does not accommodate bicycles and hardly pedestrians. The shear amount and speed of traffic and narrow outside lanes prohibit riding in the street. A First Avenue bikeway could also be a first step toward making the Lindale Mall and Collins Road area more accessible to modes other than driving.

A bikeway could take many different forms, ranging from a simple bike lane designated by special lane markings, a physically-separate bike lane with some kind of median between it and vehicular traffic lanes, or a completely off-road bike path adjacent to the the street. I do not believe a basic bike lane would provide adequate safety for cyclists and would likely only be used by the most experienced riders. This does no good to encourage more ordinary people to bike as an alternative to driving for commuting to work or running short trips or errands, considering the large residential are so close to Lindale Mall and other retail and dinning destinations.

A physically-separated bike lane would be the “coolest” and treat cyclists as equally legitimate modes of transportation. A physical barrier between bike and car traffic would provide a safe and efficient route for cyclists with the same prestige and importance as cars. This may seem like a trivial quality, but making our bicycle infrastructure more substantial and visible would increase awareness of drivers and improve safety for cyclists. It could also go a long way for the improving the perception of cycling, especially as legitimate transportation mode. Similar to the way rail transit attracts more riders than buses, visible, permanent bicycle infrastructure would most likely attract more riders.

One significant issue with physically-separated bike lanes along First Avenue are the numerous driveways that exit on to the street. Driveways would either need to be consolidated (which isn’t very feasible for most of the stretch) or they would constantly be cutting through the separating median, not to mention the bike lane itself. The third option would be to build an off-road bike path on either side of the street separated by a typical grass median – essentially a wide sidewalk that could accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists. These have been implemented elsewhere in town and make it safer for pedestrians, but does little to encourage cycling or making it more visible.

Some kind of hybrid of these types may work better to provide a safe, accessible, and visible bikeway between downtown Cedar Rapids and Marion. One solution may combine traffic lane adjacency of a standard bike lane with the increased safety of a raised sidewalk. Along several urban roadways in Germany, bikeways share a grade with sidewalks but are strictly demarcated with a painted surface, alternative pavement, and sometimes even physical separation. Unlike a wide sidewalk/bike path combination common in Iowa, these bikeways run right along the street edge and are not separated by a grass median. This maintains the bikeway as a legitimate and visible component of the city’s transportation infrastructure, while providing cyclists their own lane safely separate from vehicles.

Unfortunately this fourth option still does not adequately address the issue of cars entering and exiting driveways along First Avenue either. One definitive benefit of a standard on-street bike lane is that cars exiting drives would be much less likely to block the bikeway when waiting to turn out. Perhaps a more permeable car-bike lane barrier could work – providing cyclists with some comfort of separation and visibility for motorists. Washington DC debuted new bike lanes this week in the median of Pennsylvania Avenue. Reflective metal pylons separate cyclists from motorists where the bike lanes narrow. This could be an appropriate safety net for cyclists while allowing reasonable access in and out of existing driveways.

Thoughts? The bottom line is Cedar Rapids needs to accommodate more transportation alternatives. With a bare bones transit system and poor pedestrian connectivity between different areas of the city and metro, we must invest in specific new infrastructure that will encourage alternatives and improve safety and accessibility for everyone.

City Developments

June 23, 2010 / Brady Dorman / Comments Off

It’s been a busy news week in Cedar Rapids regarded the city’s future and upcoming redevelopment.

New City Manager
On Tuesday night the City Council unanimously voted in favor of hiring current West Des Moines City Manager Jeff Pomeranz for the position here in Cedar Rapids. He’s been lauded by the Council and others for the prosperity and growth West Des Moines has experienced for the past several years. Others have raised the important point that, unlike Cedar Rapids, West Des Moines is a suburb that benefits from the larger city and metro of Des Moines, but does not share the same burden of problems associated with the dominant center city.

There have also been grumbles about the method of choosing Pomeranz, which was done mostly out of public sight. I have have no real objections, but think he would’ve been better received by the public if the process had been more transparent. That said, I’m happy the city was able to fill the position with a qualified individual so quickly and look forward to see what he can do. A balance between good public relations, working well with the Council, and professional leadership and management skills will be critical for the success of any city manager.

Fate of the Smokestack
The historic 171 foot tall Sinclair smokestack will no longer be saved. An analysis of the structure concluded over half of if would need to be taken down by hand, brick by brick, to stabilize it before reconstructing and restoring it. This not only increased cost estimates for the restoration work, but also would risk losing FEMA funding for demolition of the Sinclair industrial site because work would need to be halted at this point until the stack is stabilized. The City Council voted to let the smokestack go and will likely be taken down sometime next week as demolition work continues. It is inevitably time for this piece of Cedar Rapids history to come down. While disappointing, I’m glad an effort was at least made to see if it could be reasonably preserved.

TrueNorth + Library
The biggest news this week in downtown redevelopment was the city’s decision to sell the flood-damaged library to TrueNorth to redevelop for their own use. TrueNorth is vacating its current building at 4th Avenue and 5th Street SE, for construction of a new central library. This stirs suspicion among many citizen skeptics that this was a back-room deal between city leaders and TrueNorth. TrueNorth is selling their property to the city for $7.5 million and offered to pay $250,000 for the old library, in addition to a $10,000 per month lease fee to the city for up to 15 months to stay in its current building while the library is being renovated for the company.

Two other offers were submitted to the city. Intermec (by way of a separate buyer) offered $350,000 for the library, with plans to relocate from their current building across the street. A third offer from Jody Keener of J.K. Properties LLC proposed turning the old library into a toy museum and retail outlet. (I don’t think anyone saw that one coming)

The city calculated the financial tax impact each proposal would have on the city over ten years and determined TrueNorth would provide the most at $1.26 million, Intermec $924,000, and the toy museum, unsurprisingly, only $84,000 (assuming it lasted that long). Additionally TrueNorth said it will invest a minimum of $7.5 million in the building and retain 120 jobs and create 50 new jobs in the future. The Dummermuth family, which intended to purchased and lease the library to Intermec, planned to reinvest $3.8 million in the building and an additional $2.2 million in furniture and equipment. Intermec would retain 252 high-paying jobs downtown.

Now that the decision is made, design and construction work can commence to renovate the former library into an office building to fit the needs of TrueNorth. We will likely see much of the ground floor converted to parking and the second level expanded across the entire building footprint. TrueNorth evidently has suggested they might also have room in the old library for Intermec. To accommodate both companies, considering the current spaces they each occupy, I imagine the library would need to be expanded even more – perhaps even a third story. This is of course all speculation on my part, but if they work together this could turn out to be a very interesting transformation.

Mexican in NewBo
The owner of Papa Juan’s/Stefano’s in northeast Cedar Rapids wants to open another Mexican restaurant at the former Brosh Funeral Home and Chapel at 10th Ave and 3rd Street SE in New Bohemia, but technicalities about part of the building’s historical status will determine if they can. Without a “contributing” historical status they can not benefit from historic tax credits and would be required to raise the building above the flood level. If it goes their way plans are to invest $900,000 in renovations and be open for business within four months of obtaining permits. The effort seem like a far stretch, but having another restaurant – and occupied building – in that area would be great. Read more here

Army Corps’ Flood Protection Feasibility Study
The results emerging from the Army Corps of Engineers’ feasibility study for a flood protection system along the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids are not looking good. The City and the Corps had a public open house today at the Crowne Plaza to present the current status and process of the study and preliminary alternatives they are coming up with. A flood protection system considered economically feasible by the Army Corps of Engineers would only protect the east bank and involve a permanent flood wall in front of downtown.

This plan stands in stark contrast to the City’s preferred plan which includes an extensive combination of earth levys on the west side and away from downtown, permanent walls by industries, and sections of removable flood walls by downtown, Czech Village, and a few access points along the proposed northwest greenway. Cedar Rapids will most certainly need to compromise on the preferred plan if any system is to ever actually get funded and built, but if the Army Corps’ proposed half-protection system is the best we can [maybe] get, it begs the question if it is even worth it. As of now the City is still pushing to get the funding for the comprehensive flood protection system that will maintain a connection between downtown and the river, and provide protection for the west side as well. More information about the system and the city’s preferred plan can be found here. Also check out another post about the flood protection system at Urban Corridor.