Downtown Cedar Rapids businesses aren't the only ones acing tough decisions on how to heat their buildings following June's flood.

Many landlords have the same worry as winter approaches.

For decades, Alliant Energy says steam has been the most cost-effective way to heat downtown businesses and many local apartment complexes.

But in June, Alliant's century-old power plant that produces the steam flooded.

Now the company is producing steam from temporary boilers, which costs more.

Apartment complexes that have steam heat are having to choose whether they'll pay 4 times as much for this steam service - or find alternative heating sources.

Right now this apartment building on 3rd Avenue has no idea how or if it'll be heated.

“You know, no heat, I'm gonna freeze,” says Lester Bryan, a resident.

The landlord didn't want to go on camera, but he told TV9 he's looking into getting a boiler or baseboard heat.

"Getting somebody to have the time to do it-that's the whole problem,” says Bill Archer, a resident, and maintenance worker.

But once they get the estimates, the challenge becomes how to pay for it, and get it in time for cooler temperatures.
Boilers take several weeks to build, it may not fit in the building's basement, and it'll cost up to 50,000 dollars.

"As long as I got heat, I'm fine. Heat is heat,” says Bryan.

The landlord told TV9 if it's too expensive, it'll be more cost effective to shut this apartment complex down for the winter.
That means residents would have to move.

Alliant says, on September 17th, they will finish this plant's inspections.
That day, they will decide the future of this steam plant.

The city has also talked about subsidizing part of the extra cost.

But the landlord says those answers will factor into his decision, and they're taking time he doesn't have.