Iowa City seeks proposals for site acquired after ‘06 tornado

IOWA CITY - The city of Iowa City is taking a new approach to its prolonged attempt to redevelop a property it acquired after a tornado ripped through town eight years ago.

The city has issued a request for proposals from developers interested in land on the southwest corner of the intersection of Linn and Court streets just south of downtown.

City officials are keeping an open mind on what could go there, with a hotel, stores, offices, residential units, a business incubator or a mix of uses all possibilities.

The property is half a city block in size, and the ultimate goal is to find a project that helps further the city's desire to transform the surrounding area, known as Riverfront Crossings, into an urban neighborhood, said Jeff Davidson, Iowa City's economic development administrator.

'With a piece of property that big, I think it almost has to be a mixed-use property. ... I cannot imagine a single-use building that size,” he said.

The site was home to the parish hall of St. Patrick's Catholic Church before a tornado destroyed the church building, which was across the street, in April 2006.

After the church was rebuilt elsewhere, the city bought the property for $3.05 million in 2008 and said it wanted to build a parking structure that included residential and commercial space.

Those efforts failed to take off, however, and now the city is involved in a project a block away that would satisfy the parking needs.

The process for picking a developer of the site at Linn and Court streets will be similar to what was done with city-owned land at College and Gilbert streets on the eastern edge of downtown.

The city requested proposals for that property, picked one a year ago for a 20-story building from developer Marc Moen and entered into negotiations for an agreement. Those talks continue, but something could be before the City Council this summer, Davidson said.

The property at Linn and Court streets is twice the size of that site, albeit with some challenges due to the slope of the land, Davidson said.

He's expecting strong interest from developers, who say it's difficult and expensive to acquire individual parcels to get a developable site in or near downtown Iowa City. Over the past year, Davidson has been keeping names of people who have asked about those types of opportunities. He now has 104 names.

That interest in Riverfront Crossings also can be seen in a proposal before the city's Planning and Zoning Commission for the former Hartwig Motors property on Riverside Drive.

Emrico Properties is seeking a rezoning of 3 acres of land so it can construct a four-story building with 96 residential units.

The commission is to consider the request at its June 5 meeting.