Fate of historic Wellington Heights mansion on hold

Church leaders are still undecided on the fate of a historic home in the Wellington Heights neighborhood.

A hold on the demolition permit for 1600 Washington Ave. SE expires next week, so the building could be razed at that time.

The building is owned by First Congregational Church, which sits at the other end of the block at 361 17

^th

St. SE.

Larry Taylor, chairman of the church Board of Trustees, said the board will wait until after Nov. 9 to decide the next step.

Members have said the church purchased the Queen Anne-style Victorian, which is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, with the intention to raze it. Three or four other homes have been demolished by the church, creating a green space on the block.

Taylor said the board heard a proposal from Green Development LLC of Iowa City to renovate the home for office space.

“That's not our first choice,” he said, adding that the board did not act on the proposal.

Salvage might be one prospect the church will explore, Taylor said.

The church purchased the house for $36,000 in May, after the building had sat vacant for at least two years.

Police records show there was one call to the address in nearly two years. In August 2009, officers investigated possible vandalism at the site, after someone reported that juveniles were breaking in to the home when the door was unlocked.

Former Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran had offered $10,000 in earnest money as a deposit to show there was a serious buyer for the property.

Halloran said she had not been contacted by church officials since her offer in September.

Members of the Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission said they had not heard from church leaders about their plans for the home.

The commission, which reviews demolition permits for buildings over 50-years-old, put a 60-day hold on the permit in September.

Members cited the three-story brick building's historic value to the neighborhood and hoped the home could be preserved.

Built at the turn of the 20th Century, the house was the home of Ernest and Mary Norris. Mary Norris was the daughter of James L. Bever, a descendant of Cedar Rapids pioneer Sampson Bever. Bever Park was named for the family.