Geneva Tower residents begin returning to building after fire in downtown Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Some residents of Geneva Tower moved back into their apartments Thursday after being displaced for more than a week because of a fire.

The move was the first phase of the move-in process and included 122 residents who live on floors one through eight of the building, according to a news release from the Affordable Housing Network, which owns Geneva Tower.

Some tenants who previously lived on floors nine through 12 were moved to vacant units on the first eight floors, according to Elianna Novitch with the Affordable Housing Network.

The fire started on the ninth floor of the building, and most of the fire and smoke damage happened on that floor and above. The housing group expects rehabilitation on floors 10 through 12 to be finished in two to three weeks, Novitch said in an email.

The residents of the first eight floors moved back in throughout the day Thursday. Alternative arrangements have been made for 10 to 12 people who are unable to reoccupy their apartments.

Linn County Emergency Management oversaw transportation for residents from the Veterans Memorial Building, where many had been staying at a temporary shelter set up by the American Red Cross.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department helped with navigation at Geneva Tower, and the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program was on-site with a mobile food pantry to help residents restock their kitchens.

Breakfast and lunch were provided Thursday by the Salvation Army, and a boxed meal was provided by Jimmy Z’s for dinner.

“We are excited to get residents back into their homes and continue to work closely with a variety of contractors on the restoration of the building,” Debbie Craig, chief advocacy officer of the Affordable Housing Network, said in the news release. “We appreciate the continued support from our community partners as we work together to ensure residents’ needs continue to be met.”

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