June Opening Planned for Cedar Rapids Landmark
Posted by CC on March 6th, 2011 5:58 pm
The flood recovery of the CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids was recently featured by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in an online article. Legion Arts, the organization that owns the building, plans to celebrate its reopening in summer 2011, after a $7 million rehabilitation.
Beginning in the late 1800s, the cultural landmark served as a social center for the Czech community, hosting weddings, concerts, and meetings. Legion Arts moved in in 1991 and was one of the first businesses to reopen after the floods of 2008, working with artists to help rebuild their studios.
Work on the building includes restoration of the storefronts and entry, reopening bricked-in windows, roof replacement, new bathrooms, an elevator, and new HVAC. According to the article, the building will host “theater and gallery space, a ground floor ‘arts incubator’ for start-up arts organizations, and an artist-in-residency program in the restored adjacent firehouse.” The work is being funded with I-JOBS, state historic tax credits, and contributions from individuals and businesses.
Congratulations and a big “thank you” to Legion Arts for their dedication to flood recovery, preservation, and sustainability in this Cedar Rapids neighborhood!
To find out more, go to: www.preservationnation.org
