First 'imminent-threat' homes demolished in Czech Village

The first of the demolitions of 61 homes next to the Czech Village commercial strip took place Thursday morning after being put off for some months while federal, state and local officials sorted through the historic standing of the residential area.

Those officials in recent weeks have concluded that the residential neighborhood is not eligible for a place on the National Register of Historic Places because too many alterations to home have taken place over time.

An Iowa City developer and a Cedar Rapids planning consultant now hope to move up to 33 of what is a total of an estimated 114 homes still standing between A and C streets SW at Czech Village. The city is willing to give homes away to developers and builders, but it insists that these homes be moved because some of the neighborhood is in the construction zone for the city's new flood-protection system and all of it is in the 100-year flood plain.

John Riggs, assistant building official with the city of Cedar Rapids, said Thursday morning that the city's demolition contractor will have all 61 “imminent-threat” homes down by Nov. 27, weather permitting. Nov. 27 is the deadline set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is providing disaster funds for this group of demolitions.

There is always the possibility that weather, Riggs added, could complicate meeting the FEMA funding deadline.

High winds on Thursday, for instance, prevented the city's contractor from removing debris from the demolition site and taking it to the top of the nearby landfill, locally known as Mount Trashmore.

In fact, the first of the 61 demolitions at Czech Village had been set to come Wednesday, but high winds that day put it off.