New senior living facility, neighborhood planned off C Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - A new senior living facility and a 279-unit neighborhood are being planned off C Avenue NE in northeast Cedar Rapids.

Hunter Skogman, operations manager with Skogman Homes, said Prairie Landing is the company's first new housing development in Cedar Rapids in 20 years.

'We're really excited about this project,” which will include single-family and multifamily units and five-unit town houses, Skogman told the Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday during a meeting held over Zoom.

The development also will include a four-story assisted living facility, HallMar Village, to be built by Mercy Medical Center and Presbyterian Homes & Services near Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, 9000 C Ave. NE.

The facility will provide long-term care for older adults and people with dementia, as well as independent living and assisted living apartments, according to a news release.

The new HallMar Village will replace the Mercy Hallmar center at 701 10th St. SE in Cedar Rapids, which opened in 1960.

Skogman expects the housing portion of the development to be built over the next 10 years, averaging 15 to 20 units a year.

The goal, he said, is to start 'moving dirt” in the spring of 2021, with building beginning in midsummer to late fall.

'We don't foresee a dramatic increase in traffic in the short run,” Skogman said.

The homes will be built on 80 acres of the site, with a density of 4.8 units per acre. HallMar Village will be built on the other 40 acres, Skogman said.

Council member Scott Overland said it is good to see a large development planned for the northeast quadrant.

'It's been a long time (since) we've seen that in that quadrant of the city,” he said. 'I'm excited to see that addition.”

Traffic Flow

David Houg, a city development specialist, said the proposed development is consistent with the city's comprehensive plan objectives, which allow residential and commercial development along C Avenue NE, which is identified as a 'growth area.”

He does not anticipate increased safety issues because of increased traffic along C Avenue, which sees about 3,600 vehicles a day and has had only one crash in the past five years.

There are some concerns about the C Avenue and East Robins Road intersection south of the development, Houg said.

A traffic study will be included with the site's detailed plan, which will determine if any improvements are needed on C Avenue, such as turn lanes.

Zoning

The city council approved amending the city's land use map for the development from urban low-density to an urban medium-density.

It also changed the zoning for Echo Hill Presbyterian Church from agriculture to a suburban residential low-flex district and a suburban mixed-use community center district.

A second and third reading of the ordinances will be considered at the May 26 council meeting.

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