Linn County supervisors seek development proposals for historic Mott Building

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Linn County Board of Supervisors is seeking proposals from developers who are interested in buying and redeveloping the county-owned Mott Building on the west bank of the Cedar River across from downtown.

The building, which was built at the start of the 20th Century as a shop for the production of farm windmills, had been slated for demolition some years ago as part of a supervisors' plan to build a new administration building on the property. The plan was set aside.

The climate for demolition has changed as elected officials and local historic preservationists have come to insist that the city and county try to save and restore what is left of some of the city's earliest buildings.

The city of Cedar Rapids, for instance, currently is seeking development proposals for the city-owned Knutson Building, built in 1887 as a condensed milk plant, near the Mott Building.

The thought is that both buildings will be suitable for some sort of combination of office or commercial space on the first floor and residential space on the upper floors.

Darrin Gage, the county's director of policy and administration, said this week that several developers have expressed an interest in the Mott Building, 42 Seventh Ave. SW.

The county also plans to sell adjacent lots that it owns around the Mott Building as part of any Mott redevelopment proposal.