Cedar Rapids, Marion projects get grants

Remodeling and restoration of historic buildings in Cedar Rapids and Marion received a financial boost Tuesday with the awarding of Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants.

The 135-year-old former White Elephant building in New Bohemia district, which was rescued from demolition in May, was awarded a $75,000 grant by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. It requires a $276,810 match to pay for the $351,810 projected cost of remodeling and restoration.

Beth and Tom DeBoom of Cedar Rapids purchased the building, one of the last original storefronts in the NewBo area. The restoration is in partnership with Bart Woods of Primus Construction.

The White Elephant eventually will be be moved next to the so-called Heart House, 1301 Third St. SE. The home, which was built in 1885 and houses Little House Artifacts on the main floor and an Airbnb rental on the second, also was saved from demolition by the DeBooms.

Beth DeBoom, president and one of the founding members of Save Cedar Rapids Heritage, a local preservation advocacy group, said the White Elephant building will be restored to the way it looked before the 2008 flood.

'We want the first floor to be retail, some place that will really increase foot traffic in the neighborhood,” DeBoom said Tuesday. 'The second floor could be an Airbnb or a studio apartment.”

DeBoom said she and her husband expect to take possession of land they are buying from the city very soon. She said a crawl space will need to be completed before the building can be placed on a foundation.

The former White Elephant building and the Heart House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Les Arnold is remodeling the Kuba-Kurtz building at 1038 Seventh Ave. in Marion for Brick Alley Pub and Sports Bar, which is expected to open in early March. The project, with an estimated cost of $258,817, received a $75,000 challenge grant and will be matched by the remaining $183,817.

'We will have indoor and outdoor patio seating in a casual sports bar atmosphere,” Arnold said Tuesday. 'We are finishing up demolition of the back portion of the building and starting the remodeling. The building is in need of a lot of renovation and remodeling.”

Documents submitted by Arnold to Marion Planning and Development show the back of the building will have windows to create an indoor patio area adjacent to an outdoor patio. Arnold said the outdoor patio will open into the city's Art in the Alleyways project.

The Main Street Iowa challenge grants are administered through IEDA's Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs. IEDA Director Debi Durham said in a news release the grants have proved to be catalysts for the revitalization of Iowa's historic main streets.

'Rehabilitated downtown buildings create opportunities for new business and new residences in the core of our communities,” Durham said.

The Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant program is funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature.

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; george.ford@thegazette.com