Iowa City building recognized for historic preservation

IOWA CITY - Efforts to rehabilitate a more than 100-year-old former grocery store on Bowery Street has garnered recognition from a state historic preservation group.

According to a Thursday news release, Preservation Iowa, a statewide organization that supports preserving historic structures, will award the building at 518 Bowery St. a Preservation at Its Best Award in the commercial category during the group's annual summit this week in Winterset.

The Bowery Street building, owned by Keith Barton and Steven Rosenberg of Berkeley, Cali., is home to ZaZa's Pasta Shop and Italian Market.

The building was originally a grocery store and built sometime in the late 1800s, according to the news release. It was the first official home to New Pioneer Cooperative, before the natural food store ultimately relocated to Van Buren Street.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places last year.