Posted on August 27th, 2014 4:43 pm
Preservation Iowa Presents Awards for Excellence in Preservation
Cedar Rapids, IA – August 21, 2014 – Preservation Iowa announced their annual Preservation at Its Best Awards at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, IA. Preservation Iowa awarded nine awards in seven categories. Each year Preservation Iowa seeks to honor historic preservation successes. In doing so, we hope to inspire others to take action to preserve, protect, and promote Iowa’s historic resources. Additionally these projects highlight the work being done around the state to preserve our historic infrastructures by repurposing them to allow reintegration into their local communities. Many of these projects encourage community growth by stimulating the local economy through housing, food industry, and bringing Iowans back into their historic districts which encourages the preservation of the Iowa’s rich heritage.
Awards presented in 2014 included the following projects: (additional project information on subsequent pages)
Adaptive Use:
Project: Des Moines Social Club
Recipients: Des Moines Social Club
Recipients: Slingshot Architecture
Recipients: Christensen Development
Project: The Tallcorn
Recipients: Knowles Blunck Architecture
Recipients: Common Bond Communities
Commercial:
Project: Lion Bridge Brewing Co.
Recipients: Janelle, George, and Quinton McClain
with Ana Escalante
Community Effort:
Project: Eagles on Blondeau
Recipients: Keokuk Downtown Properties LLC
Project: Paramount Theatre
Recipients: City of Cedar Rapids
Recipients: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Public Structure:
Project: Cedar Rapids City Hall
Recipients: City of Cedar Rapids
Recipients: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Residential:
Project: C.O. Taylor Home
Recipients: David Vass and Tracey Boxx Vass
Rural Preservation:
Project: Willow Tree School
Recipients: City of Odebolt
Sustainability in Preservation:
Project: Market on Main
Recipients: Ottumwa Property & Redevelopment Company
2014 Preservation at Its Best Awards List:
Adaptive Use:
Project: Des Moines Social Club
Recipients: Des Moines Social Club, Slingshot Architecture, and Christensen Development
Community: Des Moines
Project Description: Since its construction in 1937, Fire Station No. 1 located at 900 Mulberry Street in Des Moines had been used as the headquarters for the Des Moines Fire Department. A Proudfoot, Rawson, Brooks and Borg design, the 37,000 SF site consists of two buildings, the Headquarters and the Shop Building, with a large courtyard connecting the two. The truck bays were converted to Malo, a Spanish-Latin restaurant. A coffee shop also resides on the first level along with an art gallery and a fireman’s memorial within the original hose drying room. The second level is home to the Des Moines Social Club offices. In addition, four other non-profit organizations also have their offices there. The maintenance shop is now home to a black box theater. The result is a creative space that allowed the Des Moines Social Club to showcase every facet of their Organization. The project team was able to deliver a building that will have a long term impact not only on the structure but on the community as well. The opportunities for community members to become engaged, educated and entertained by countless forms of art are endless at the Des Moines Social Club
Project: The Tallcorn
Recipients: Knowles Blunck Architecture and Common Bond Communities
Community: Marshalltown
Project Description: This landmark historic hotel was originally built in 1928 as Hotel Tallcorn. It is prominently located on Main Street in the heart of Marshalltown, Iowa. Many of its unique historic façade and lobby features were altered in a poorly-conceived modernization attempt during the 1960s, and shortly thereafter the hotel was converted to 65 very small apartment units. The mixed-use redevelopment includes complete replacement and reconfiguration of all building systems. The interior scope included a complete renovation of the rental units into 49 one and two bedroom units with common areas. The first floor has been returned to commercial storefront space, and the historic ballroom area was meticulously restored for multi-purpose community/event space. Replacing a truly blighted problem property with high quality, stable and safe housing is having a profound effect on the vitality of Marshalltown’s downtown community. The preservation of this important historic resource in the heart of the city’s Main Street district fully restores the unique character of the property, and is serving as an anchor for surrounding reinvestment and revitalization.
Commercial:
Project: Lion Bridge Brewing Co.
Recipients: Janelle, George, and Quinton McClain with Ana Escalante
Community: Cedar Rapids
Project Description: Lion Bridge Brewing’s home is in the historic Fritz’s Food Market. The grocery store was building in 1938 and was important to Cedar Rapid’s Czech and Slovak community. Having housed many commercial uses in the recent past, in 2012, the building avoided a city buyout, and potential demolition, through its purchase by the National Czech and Slovak Museum. This building is a contributing structure to the Bohemian Commercial District. Renovation work included removing layers of paint from 4,000-square-feet of walls to expose the original fire-glazed brick and taking out the drop ceilings to restore rooms to their original 12-foot height. Original transom and façade windows were restored to offer a more authentic view of the taproom and brewery. All recent interior partitions were removed. The intent was to bring back the finishes as seen in the historic photos, which were hidden under the various additions. Ceiling grid, “modern” interior walls, and carpet were removed. Original 1938 concrete floors were exposed after removing carpet and tile. It is now a fantastic place to get a beer and home to one of Eastern Iowa’s favorite breweries
Community Effort:
Project: Eagles on Blondeau
Recipients: Keokuk Downtown Properties LLC
Community: Keokuk
Project Description: The Eagles building was built in two phases during the 1920’s and was erected by the local Keokuk, Iowa Aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. After many years of occupancy by the Eagles Club this building, like so many fraternal halls around the country, gradually fell into disrepair. The Eagles Club sold the building in the early 1990’s and deterioration continued. In 2009 and 2010 a group of local citizens, under the umbrella of Main Street Keokuk began the process of restoring and adapting the building. Today the Eagles on Blondeau has four residential apartments: 2 true loft units, 1 classical design unit, and 1 contemporary unit. The commercial area on the main level is home to a beautifully built Wells Fargo Financial Advisors office. The building is a beautifully restored, economically viable structure and an example of fine community effort.
Project: Paramount Theatre
Recipients: City of Cedar Rapids and Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Community: Cedar Rapids
Project Description: At its construction in 1928, the theatre was one of the country’s final grand vaudeville palaces. The theater survived 80 years of change in downtown Cedar Rapids; however, In June of 2008 flooding of historic proportions devastated the theater. At the crest of the flood, the historic Paramount Theatre took on eight feet of water on the ground level, completely submerging the basement and sub-basement. Damage was estimated at around $22 million and the future of the Paramount was in doubt, but the community rallied to save this Register-Listed building and restore it to its central place in the city’s cultural life. Today the facility has both historic class and modern amenities and it is the center of Cedar Rapid’s arts, entertainment, and cultural scene.
Public Structure:
Project: Cedar Rapids City Hall
Recipients: City of Cedar Rapids and Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Community: Cedar Rapids
Project Description: Originally a central post office, this 67,000sf Beaux Arts building is a key contributing structure to the May’s Island Historic District. It was listed on the National Register in 1978 for both architectural significance and as an example of creative urban planning. It was constructed in 1933 and inundated by the 2008 flood. At the time of the flood, the building was a federal court house; however, a new and larger federal courthouse was built as a replacement. City officials, however, were determined not only to repair the damage, but to keep this stately building in use and open to the public. It now houses the City Manager, Mayor and Council, City Attorney, Clerk’s Office, Finance, Community Development, and Human Resources for the city of Cedar Rapids. Of special note are the WPA-era murals that have twice been painted over in the building’s lifetime. The wall behind the City Council dais underwent professional restoration, revealing a section of the mural known as “Opening of the Midwest.” This piece of public art was created by a team under Francis Robert White, an Iowa artist and student of Grant Wood at Stone City. Currently, another segment of the mural is being restored.
Residential:
Project: C.O. Taylor Home
Recipients: David Vass and Tracey Boxx-Vass
Community: Ottumwa
Project Description: Completed in 1900, a massive Queen Anne style house sits at the top of the Market Street hill in Ottumwa, Iowa overlooking downtown and the Des Moines River. Built as a showplace and single family home by C. O. Taylor, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. After the Taylors sold the home in 2005, it passed through several owners until it was purchased in 2011. This massive restoration project started in May of 2011 and over the past 4 years the owners successfully preserved the home’s elaborate woodwork, transom windows, stained and leaded glass, carved paneling and pictures rails, elaborate built-ins and 7 fireplaces. The proud owners made every attempt to reuse materials wherever they could. A section of cabinets from the old butler’s pantry has been installed in a small room upstairs and now holds family memorabilia. Vanity sinks rescued from demolished local houses grace the bathrooms and a fireplace mantel once stored in the attic had been reassembled.
This project was substantially complete by March 31 of 2014. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire community of Ottumwa is proud to have this truly majestic home now brought back to its glory days.
Rural Preservation:
Project: Willow Tree School
Recipients: City of Odebolt
Community: Odebolt
Project Description: This 1883 schoolhouse educated rural Iowans for generations, before it was closed in 1953. After its closure, it hosted the local 4-H club and eventually became a hog-farrowing building. In 2011 a community group formed and began the process of restoring the Victorian style school. The school had its original fish scale on the entry, evidence of corbels and gingerbread, extra tall and narrow Italianate windows, decorative tin balls, tin roof ridges ending in fleur-de-lis designs, wainscoting, original slate boards, hooks and hardware. After careful planning, the school was moved into the city of Odebolt on what is now called Odebolt Heritage Square where its mission is “preserving the history of Iowa’s rural schools and instilling pride in the heritage of our community.” While the building is no longer part of Iowa’s countryside, it is safe from demolition and decay and will endure to promote Iowa’s rich rural heritage.
Sustainability in Preservation:
Project: Market on Main
Recipients: Ottumwa Property & Redevelopment Company
Community: Ottumwa
Project Description: Market on Main was originally the Ottumwa Grand Opera House completed in 1891 as a 4-story building. The upper floors were removed in the mid 1900’s and the building subsequently had a questionable career as a bowling alley, a jailhouse, a bus garage and a disco and a nightclub location. The Ottumwa Property and Redevelopment Company rescued and purchased the blighted and substantially altered 12,000 square foot building and rehabilitated it into a LEED certified facility supporting energy efficiency and sustainability. The building still features the original curved brick wall of the Opera House in its front retail space. The need for this project was realized when a local food needs assessment discovered that Wapello County was the third most food insecure county in Iowa with 14.8 of our county’s total population meeting the criteria. All five of Iowa’s most food insecure counties happen to be located in Southeast Iowa. In addition, downtown Ottumwa is considered a food “desert”. This terminology highlights the fact that access to a grocery store is not available within a 0.5 mile radius of the downtown area. This project is not only a sustainable historic preservation project, it is also a project that helps people in Ottumwa meet the needs of today.
