Czech Museum Plans Move Ahead; Riverside Roundhouse Could Be Moved

By Cindy Hadish, Reporter

The Riverside Roundhouse is shown in front of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Czech Village. Both buildings flooded in June 2008. Museum officials want to build a new museum - elevated with a parking level - on the site of the city-owned roundhouse. (Cindy Hadish/The Gazette)

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Feb 13, 2010 at 5:10 PM CST

Story Updated: Feb 13, 2010 at 5:10 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS — A street closure and relocation of the Riverside Roundhouse could be in the works as plans progress for moving the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.

Museum leaders and architects presented proposed details Friday at St. Wenceslaus Church, during an open house attended by about 50 people. “This is the beginning,” museum President Gail Naughton said.

The 18,000-square-foot museum, next to the Cedar River at 30 16th Ave. SW, was flooded by 8 feet of water during the epic June 2008 flood.

Museum leaders announced last fall that the building, which hosted three presidents during its dedication in 1995, would be relocated a short distance away to the site of the roundhouse.

Plans call for A Street SW to close to through-traffic from 15th Avenue SW toward Penford. A Street would become two-way, with a turnaround built near Riverside skate park.

A statue could go in the middle of another roundabout near the museum’s entrance.

The museum will be elevated, with 77 parking spaces underneath it and the building addition, said architect Kevin Eipperle of the Durrant Group of Dubuque. With the addition, the museum will be 50,000-square-feet.

Naughton said the goal is to begin site work this construction season and move the building this fall or spring 2011, with opening set for 2012. The neighboring immigrant house also will be moved.

Estimated cost of the new building is $20 million. The museum obtained $10 million in I-JOBS funding.

The City Council will address the plans during a March 9 meeting.

Museum staff will begin moving into the renovated Kosek building in Czech Village next month. That site, 87 16th Ave. SW, will open with an exhibition in the lower level in April, Naughton said.

Czech Village is still recovering from the flood and one element of the plan could give the district a boost. Alex Andersen, owner of Ernie’s Avenue Tavern, 69 16th Ave. SW, is leading a Czech Village Association committee to save the roundhouse and use as an events center.

The group wants to move the roundhouse — built in 1962 and used for farmers markets until 2007 — to 17th Avenue and B Street SW, where eight vacant flooded homes remain.

Andersen said the building could be saved from demolition without taxpayer dollars. Work to dismantle the roundhouse will be done with volunteer union labor, he said. The committee is asking for donations for the reconstruction.

Another museum meeting is set for 5 p.m. March 16 at St. Wenceslaus.

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