Flood-damaged former library building expected to know its winning suitor this week

CEDAR RAPIDS -- The flood-damaged former downtown library building is expected to find out its future this week.

The City Council is slated to pick a “preferred developer” of the old library on First Street SE at its Tuesday evening meeting.

Three entities have submitted proposals, according to city officials.

They include the TrueNorth insurance and financial services firm, which is leaving its present site on Fourth Avenue SE across from Greene Square Park to make way for the city's new downtown library.

Larry Sharp, a local Realtor, reports that he also has submitted a proposal for the former library site, a proposal that will bring plenty of people to downtown Cedar Rapids and create jobs, Sharp says.

Intermec Corp., which does engineering and design work from buildings across Second Street SE from the former library, also had expressed interest in the old library site, city officials have noted.