Demolishing First Christian Church would be a tragedy

Losing a beautiful building like First Christian Church on Third Avenue SE would be a tragedy for Cedar Rapids. Much of the history of the city is steeped in its architecture. Other cities around the nation and in Iowa have done a good job preserving their buildings and with that their heritage. Traveling through Dubuque, one sees the results of preservation, which adds to the beauty and character of the city.

While we appreciate the efforts of St. Luke's Hospital and Physicians' Clinic of Iowa to invest in our city, it seems that demolishing a building like First Christian Church just to gain some parking spaces is over the top. I believe that there are enough people interested in preservation of this building that some compromise should be reached, given time.

I have been told that the City of Cedar Rapids is not requiring these parking spaces to meet code, so why demolish this great structure?

Robert Kocher

Marvin D. Cone

Professor of Art Emeritus

Coe College

Cedar Rapids