Cedar Rapids City Hall Update

By Mark Geary, Reporter

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By Mark Geary

Story Created: Oct 13, 2008 at 7:52 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 14, 2008 at 12:08 AM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids Veteran's Memorial Building...commonly known as city hall...still faces an uncertain future after the flood. Monday, Veteran's Memorial Commission members took us inside the building to get an update.

The commission lets the city use its building free of charge. The city doesn't even have to pay utilities.
Yet, city leaders still aren't sure if moving back there makes sense.

"The city has told us the plan is to quote -- put the building to sleep until April or May,” Commission chair Pete Welch said.

City council members hired a consultant to examine the damage. While they wait for results, some community leaders are talking about combining city, county and school offices into one location that probably isn't this building.

"I'm optimistic there's an opportunity to share some resources and put like services together,” city council member Brian Fagan said.

Meanwhile, the Veteran's Memorial Commission is doing everything it can to keep the building going until the city decides whether to move back. They've gutted and cleaned all the damaged areas.

"We don't want anybody to think we were sleeping at the switch, not trying to address the problems and issues as we saw them,” Welch said.

The federal government recently approved nearly 18 million dollars to restore the building. Yet, the money still hasn't arrived.

Commission members are also in the process of repairing damage to the building's signature stained glass window.

"Our number one priority is to save and preserve,” Welch said.

If the city does move back, all essential and critical departments and equipment will likely move to upper levels of the building.

"Really, the end goal here is what's in the best interest for the citizens of Cedar Rapids,” Fagan said.

At this point, though, no one has enough information to determine what's best for the city.

The building still does not have any working electricity or plumbing. But, the commission does have some steam flowing in to prevent the pipes from freezing.

The consulting firm that's inspecting the building should have its preliminary report done by mid-November.

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