Proposed project in Iowa City raises questions for 19th century cottages

IOWA CITY - Conceptual plans for the 600 block of S. Dubuque Street detail a four-story building with a blend of residential and retail use.

Though it serves as an example of what city officials want in Riverfront Crossings District development, the building is proposed for ground currently occupied by a number of existing structures, particularly three mid-19th century cottages.

Preservation of the historic cottages - which could be some of the oldest working class homes in Iowa City - has been deemed infeasible by Hodge Construction, the applicant listed on the rezoning request.

Ted Pacha, of Theo Resources, which owns almost all the properties on the 2.3 acre plot, said Tuesday he is only exploring a possible rezoning for the property.

'All I'm trying to do is determine if the city wants to rezone it to match their Riverfront Crossings plan,” Pacha said.

So far, city staff appear interested and have recommended rezoning the 2.3 acres. That's subject to a conditional zoning agreement that, if a structural engineer determines the three cottages to be unable to be preserved or moved, proper historic documentation must be conducted before demolition.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss the proposed rezoning from commercial zones to the Riverfront Crossings District zoning Thursday at 7 p.m. in City Hall.

Attached in the commission's meeting packet are emails from 21 area residents expressing a desire to preserve the three cottages.

However, in a Nov. 13 letter to the city from the applicant, the Hodge Construction has determined the cottages to be structurally unsound and has proposed documenting the buildings through photographs, drawings and historical background research before tearing them down.

According to the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan, adopted about two years ago, preservation of the three cottages should be a goal during development. As an incentive, the city offers a bonus height allowance for future building on the corner of Dubuque and Prentiss streets in exchange for preservation of the cottages. The city would also consider residential development behind the cottages, according to the plan.

The cottages, located at 608, 610 and 614 S. Dubuque St., were built between 1860 and 1880. They are some of the oldest buildings in Iowa City and are unique for their proximity to the historic railroad depot, according to the commission meeting packet.

More than 130 years old, the buildings are home to three local businesses: The Book Shop, Suzy's Antiques and Gifts and Moy Yat Ving Tsun Kung Fu Academy.

The 600 block of Dubuque Street also contains a small mixed-use building with The Broken Spoke bike shop and three apartments; a single-family house; and a small strip commercial building with various small businesses. Also included in the 2.3 acre plot is 225 and 225.5 Prentiss Street, where Plumb Supply is located.

Susan Hultman has been a tenant of the center cottage at 610 S. Dubuque St. for about five years. While her store, Suzy's Antiques and Gifts, has been closed for the past year while she takes care of other responsibilities, Hultman wishes to eventually reopen. She would hate to see the buildings go.

'I could always go somewhere else, I would choose not to, but I'm not bound by that, I have another profession,” Hultman said. 'I am very, very concerned from a historical perspective that they be preserved.”