Construction work inside Veterans Memorial Building finally under way

Reconstruction work finally began this month on one of the iconic downtown Cedar Rapids buildings devastated by flooding in 2008.

The Veterans Memorial Building, which served as city hall for decades, was cleaned and stabilized after the high water in June 2008.  But it literally sat for years awaiting the rebuilding decisions. Construction work began around Feb. 1, with little or no fanfare.

Mike Jager, executive director of the Veterans Memorial Commission, said contractors began some interior demolition shortly after Christmas.  But workers shifted into the actual rebuilding process about a week and a half ago.

The work to restore the former city hall to a useful life is an $18.5 million project. FEMA is contributing $15.3 million of the cost with state I-JOBS and Jumpstart funding contributing another $3.2 million combined. Jager said currently there are no local option or property tax dollars involved in the rebuilding of the former city hall building.

After barely ten days of work, there is really nothing dramatic to see yet, but Jager said those who come back in a few months should see a significant change.

“Sometimes, day by day, it's kind of a slow drip process,” Jager said, adding “But over time, 60 to 90 day intervals, there will be real, tangible consistent progress.”

Jager said any progress was welcome after a two year running battle with FEMA over the budget and building decisions. The federal disaster agency didn't sign off on a plan until last November.

About 20 percent of a refurbished Veterans Memorial Building will house programs aimed at helping veterans.  That will include a first-time physical therapy area.  Filling the building beyond that is an open question.  With the city moving most offices to the old federal courthouse, Veterans Memorial won't ever return as city hall.  But Jager said the commission is looking at other governmental agencies as well as nonprofits that could make use of the available space in the 106,000 square foot building.

“Perhaps Linn County, perhaps the courts,” Jager said.  “We're also looking at a mix of private tenants.  We don't want to put all our eggs in one basket the way we were before (with city hall)."

Jager said it will probably take four or five months of work to have something to show potential tenants.  That's when the real “selling job” to fill a rebuilt Veterans Memorial Building will begin.

The commission is hoping to have a substantial portion of the building finished by Veterans Day in November to host a public event.