News Track: Repairs underway at Cedar Rapids apartments ordered vacated in January

CEDAR RAPIDS — A new owner has begun repairs to apartment buildings in northwest Cedar Rapids that city officials ordered vacated early this year after an engineer warned of structural issues that posed a potential threat to residents’ safety.

The buildings at Westhill Village Apartments on Seminole Avenue NW remain vacant until repairs have been completed and a structural engineer has deemed the buildings safe to occupy again, a city official said.

Background

In December 2023, the Cedar Rapids Code Enforcement Division required the owner of Westhill Village Apartments to obtain a registered design professional’s opinion of whether the property could remain safely occupied due to extensive cracking in building walls and ceilings. The owner hired Cedar Rapids-based APEX Structural to examine the properties and evaluate appropriate steps.

Residents of Westhill Village Apartments subsequently were ordered to leave their homes early this year after an engineer flagged structural issues in the buildings that may lead to a “potential structural failure.” They included cracks in the drywall of the stairwells, vertical cracks in drywall above sliding doors, floor unevenness, sagging ceilings and a termite issue in Building 1620.

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Residents of the buildings at 1610, 1620 and 1630 Seminole Ave. NW were given 30 days by complex’s property management company to vacate the properties. Tenants in the complex’s two other buildings were also later ordered to vacate the properties.

At the time the apartment units were vacated, the property was owned by Roger A. Johnson Properties of Plymouth, Minn.

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Buildings 1610, 1620 and 1630 were vacated by Jan. 31, 2024, and two other buildings, 1615 and 1625, were vacated by Feb. 29, 2024, according to the city.

“Due to the gravity of the structural engineer’s findings, the registered design professional’s opinion was that the apartments were not safe to occupy. Immediate repairs were recommended to prevent further deterioration and ensure the safety and integrity of the apartment complex,” said Greg Buelow, the city’s code enforcement manager.

The city required residents leave to allow for repairs of structural problems, some stemming from the 2020 derecho, The Gazette previously reported.

Buelow could not provide an exact number of residents who were forced to relocate, but said all 40 of the units were believed to have been occupied at the time. Each of the five buildings has eight units.

City staff provided resource packets to affected tenants, including social service agency contacts, emergency housing contacts and legal aid resources. Residents were referred to Waypoint Services for housing needs. The complex’s property manager, Waterloo-based EPM Iowa, also worked with residents to find new apartments at its other properties, Buelow said.

What’s happened since

Buelow said the property was sold Aug. 31 to Greenwood Hill Apartments LLC. State business records show the firm’s registered agent is Cary Martin of Nevada, Iowa. Attempts last week to reach Martin for comment for this story were unsuccessful. A phone number listed for Martin rang unanswered and did not go to voicemail.

Records show Martin obtained permits from the city to repair structural issues previously identified, including sagging floors, removing cantilevered decks, installing new decks and making other fixes.

Buelow said the new owner has been actively working at the property, and there is no specific timeline for when repairs must be completed “as they are making progress.”

“Occupancy will not be permitted until all appropriate permits are obtained and repairs are completed, as well as verification that each building passes inspections,” Buelow told The Gazette. “We are also requiring the owner to obtain a registered design professional’s opinion the buildings can be safely occupied.”

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com