Cedar Rapids' Time Check resiliant, a work in progress

When floodwaters inundated Cedar Rapids in June 2008, the historic Time Check neighborhood – which has evolved over more than a century in the Northwest quadrant along the Cedar River – was among the hardest hit.

The neighborhood's highest density of industrial, commercial and multi-unit housing received the worst damage, according to the Neighborhood Development Corporation of Cedar Rapids. Debris, along with the unprecedented water depth, also destroyed infrastructure, thoroughfares and public space.

Al Pierson, co-owner of Pierson's Flower Shop and Greenhouses, said that on June 11 – two days before the Cedar River crested at more than 31 feet – he anticipated a small amount of flooding in his business at 1800 Ellis Blvd. NW. City engineers expected the same, he said.

'So we decided we would sandbag and get ready for a foot of water,' Pierson said.

He raised everything off the floor, packed a few things, grabbed some financial documents and locked up. The next morning, Pierson said, he heard a news report that a levy had failed and the Time Check neighborhood was filling with water. He moved to higher ground to check on his family's 85-year-old business.

It was still standing.

'But I knew I had lost everything,' he said. 'What I knew as my neighborhood for all of my life was wiped out in a heartbeat.'

Eight to 10 feet of water overwhelmed his single-story shop and greenhouses. Pierson said he had no flood insurance and modest sewer backup coverage. It amounted to a total loss.

'My emotions went from being mad to being depressed to being mad again,' Pierson said. 'It was emotionally and mentally draining.'

Pierson said he considered walking away. It was tempting. But he thought more about it and instead grew resilient, channeling generations before him.

'I wasn't going to give up what my grandparents had started 85 years ago,' Pierson said, adding that they also overcame disasters and tough times. 'I was not going to pack up and give in.'

After five months of seven-day work weeks and thousands of volunteer hours, Pierson's reopened on Nov. 15, 2008. He made key flood-related changes, like maintaining a concrete floor instead of carpet and buying portable coolers over stationary ones.

In his renovation efforts, Pierson decided to become involved in redeveloping the entire neighborhood. He was appointed to a neighborhood steering committee, got involved in the Northwest Neighborhood Association and joined the board of the city's Neighborhood Development Corporation.

'I decided I wasn't going to sit back and let the cards fall where they may,' he said.

Some businesses in the Time Check neighborhood have reopened, like Pierson's, but some have not. Some service agencies have stayed in the area, but much of the local office space was lost, according to the neighborhood development group.

'The core of employers which supported the neighborhood's strengths for so long is not, and may not ever be, the same,' according to the group.

Beyond the commercial presence, the Time Check neighborhood lost a lot of single family homes and rental units. Pierson said more than 200 houses were torn down after the flood, and many of those folks moved on to other cities or communities.

The neighborhood needed more multi-family and low-income housing before the floods, according to the neighborhood group, and the potential loss of affordable opportunities could have a 'permanent impact on the character of the neighborhood.'

'It's empty down here," Pierson said. 'It's been a struggle.'

This season's flooding, along with the threats that never materialized, reminded Pierson "that we are exposed."  The community didn't experience any flooding, and Pierson said he didn't move anything out or stack any sandbags.

"But I was ready to cross that line Friday morning, if things changed," he said.

Several residents moved belongings from the basement to the first or second floor, and some of the newer residents moved out temporarily. Pierson said he knows it takes water levels of 22 or 23 feet to threaten his business, but even with crest projections below that, he was concerned.

"I don't sleep," he said. "If it's raining, I wake up in the middle of the night and check the latest USGS flood predictions."

Pierson said he's relieved Cedar Rapids and the Time Check neighborhood dodged significant flooding this time around, and he thinks the city has good plans in place should another threat emerge this season. But, he said, more work can be done.

"This just reinforces the need for flood protection," he said.

As for the neighborhood's redevelopment, Pierson said, there are plans in the works.

Neighborhood backers have committed to improving connectivity with nearby areas, better using open space, and developing safe pedestrian streets. They also plan to pursue housing and commercial redevelopment that preserves the community's character.

Pierson said his group is pushing for federal rules in the 100-year flood plain to be eased, allowing for more redevelopment in the area. The community needs another five years – at least – to come close to getting back what it once had, Pierson said.  But he's hopeful.

'Every month of every year that goes by is easier,' he said.