Coventry Lofts construction set to begin Sept. 16

Construction on Coventry Lofts, a 19-unit downtown apartment building, is set to begin in about three weeks.

Darryl High, president and CEO of High Property Management, which is overseeing the redevelopment of the former Coventry Gardens Mall in the 200 block of First Avenue SE, said the company is finalizing plans with the city and state. He hopes to have the lofts complete by summer 2014.

The company has started leasing units and there is already a tenant waiting list, he said.

This week, sections of an adjacent parking lot were cordoned off due to bricks falling from the Coventry Lofts building. High said bits of the building, which was originally built in the late 1890s, have been crumbling since the 2008 Flood and development plans include replacing the siding.

High said other building features include, a rooftop garden and patio, concrete floors, 14-foot-high ceilings on the third floor and skylights. The building will also have space for two retailers, once of which may be Bruegger's Bagels.

High said there are no retail tenant updates, adding his attention has been focused on finalizing project details and starting construction.

In June, Coventry Lofts received $2.16 million in funding through the Community Development Block Grant program. The federal disaster recovery funding is awarded through the Iowa Economic Development Authority.