City seeks to buy ‘eyesore’ property

CEDAR RAPIDS - No one at City Hall said much about it during this summer's groundbreaking for the $8 million riverfront amphitheater and nearby Festival Park.

But in between the amphitheater and the park is Knutson Metal Co., which City Council member Justin Shields characterized as an “eyesore” and safety and health hazard of long standing.

After some discussion, the council asked City Manager Jeff Pomeranz to negotiate for the purchase of the Knutson business, at 525 and 533 H St. SW.

Some preliminary negotiation had taken place, council member Don Karr said last night. He called the business's owner, Tom Knutson, “a good Cedar Rapids citizen” who is ready to “move ahead.”

Shields said the city has been trying to purchase the property for many years, and earlier this week, Mayor Ron Corbett said the city actually went through a condemnation process in the 1990s to acquire the property when it built the new police station next door. Corbett said the city backed away from the acquisition then because the cost was too high.

Parks and Recreation Director Julie Sina told the council that the city needed to purchase the Knutson business for three reasons:

So a trail, as designed, can connect the amphitheater on the river's west bank across from the downtown to Festival Park along Eighth Avenue SW.

So the Police Department can return a building to its property.

So a piece of the city's flood-protection system can be put in place to protect the Police Department and the historic Mott Building along the river at Eighth Avenue SW.