Friday Morning Read: Westdale for sale? Maytk building renovations, man accused in Ped Mall shooting claims stand your ground

Westdale for sale? - The owners of Westdale have listed the shopping center for potential sale.

Westdale, the former 72-acre, 900,000-square-foot regional mall under redevelopment in southwest Cedar Rapids, is owned by A. Shapiro LLC, an investor group, and leased by Westdale CR Ventures, a subsidiary of Denver-based Frew Development Group.

Some of the perimeter lots have been sold to private developers, such as Edgewood Partners of Cedar Rapids, which has constructed three multi-tenant buildings. Read what this could mean for Westdale and the city here.

Stand your Ground defense - 

A man charged in the fatal August shooting on the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City will ask a judge Friday to dismiss the charges against him, claiming under the 'stand your ground' defense he was justified in using 'reasonable force' to 'repel deadly force.'

Lamar Wilson, 21, is charged in Johnson County District Court with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, three counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and criminal gang participation. Read more about this case and what is next here.

High School Football Predictions - 

The Gazette's sportswriters pick the semifinalists and championship games for the Iowa high school football playoffs.

If you need a refresher, click here for the pairings in all six classes. Here's how the teams stack up in our final rankings. And here are the full predictions. 

Maytk Building facelift - A retractable, rooftop sunroom is a highlight of the renovations underway at the 124-year-old Maytk Building

in the New Bohemia District of Cedar Rapids.

Built in 1893, the building — along with a more modern building next door — is being converted into a restaurant, art gallery and music venue called the Bohemian, said building owner Michael Richards. Read more about the renovations here.

Quotable - 

'Joe's Place wasn't the first inquiry we received,' Fruin said. 'We were starting to see a significant amount of interest and still have interest that comes forward. It really forced us as a staff to think about what are the appropriate uses of rooftops and how do we mitigate any concerns that come from their use?'

Read about the new rooftop bar at Joe's Place in Iowa City.