Deadline extended for moving buildings in medical district

Three historic buildings in the proposed Cedar Rapids medical district will be given another chance to be moved, although one deadline has passed.

St. Luke's Hospital officials will allow plans to proceed for relocating the buildings, as long as they are gone by Aug. 31, spokeswoman Laura Rainey said today.

St. Luke's is buying the land to lease to Physicians' Clinic of Iowa, which plans to build a medical mall between 10th and 12th Streets and Second and Third avenues SE to anchor the new medical district.

A deadline the hospital set for Friday passed without having requested contracts in place for moving the three structures from 1113 and 1115 Second Ave. SE and 1040 Third Ave. SE.

The Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation Commission is facilitating discussions between a developer and others to move the buildings nearby to use as housing.

At last week's meeting, commission members said contracts were still needed to purchase vacant lots where the buildings - two apartments and a home-turned-office - would be relocated.

All three buildings are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, giving developers financial incentives in the form of tax credits for historic buildings.

Rainey said PCI officials want the land cleared by the end of August to begin work this fall.

Groundbreaking is planned for spring 2011, with the medical mall scheduled for completion by January 2013.

The commission has cleared four buildings in that area for demolition: 205 12th St. SE; 1038 and 1035 Third Ave. SE; and 1101 Second Ave. SE.