African American Museum of Iowa positions itself for buyout list

CEDAR RAPIDS - In an effort to keep its options for the future open, the African American Museum of Iowa took a step Friday to position itself as a flood-hit property eligible for a city buyout.

The City Council's Flood Recovery Committee obliged the museum's request and agreed to recommend to the full council that the museum be placed on the city's buyout list.

However, committee members Don Karr, Justin Shields and Chuck Wieneke as well as Joe O'Hern, the city's flood recovery and reinvestment director, said it was too early to know if the museum ever would need to be bought out.

Tom Moore, the museum's executive director, also said as much after the council committee vote.

Much of the uncertainty for the museum has been prompted by the design engineers at Army Corps of Engineers' Rock Island District office, who, for now, have a levee running through the museum building as part of the flood-protection system for the east side of the Cedar River.

Tom Heinold, the Corps' project manager for the Cedar Rapids project, said this week that the design still can be changed to keep the museum in place, though he said a looming flood wall between the building and river might not be to the museum's liking. He said a more costly removable flood wall outside the museum likely would be needed.

Moore said the museum's preference would be to stay put with a removable flood wall, which would allow the museum to retain a view of the river.

"That's home. That's where people are used to seeing us," Moore said of the museum's location, 55 12th Ave. SE.

Mayor Ron Corbett has said he believes the future flood-protection system could accommodate the museum's needs.

Moore estimated that any buyout would provide the museum with only about one-fourth of the money it would need to build a replacement facility.

One-fourth of the funds would be a start, but the museum - which opened in September 2003 - would face a capital campaign if it had to move, he said.

The June 2008 flood caused $1.3 million in damage at the museum, which it quickly repaired with the help of disaster funds, grants and private donations, Moore said.