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| Downtown Zoning Map |
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| Cedar Rapids Enterprise Zone Map |
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| Cedar Rapids Urban Renewal Area |
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City Information
City of Cedar Rapids
Downtown Housing Programs
The City of Cedar Rapids has a number of ways to encourage and assist development of downtown, and near downtown, residences. The following summary is intended to give you an overview of opportunities for City participation in new housing construction, adaptive reuse of existing buildings, and existing housing rehabilitation. If you have questions, or need further information, you should contact the staff persons identified in the following sections.
Urban Renewal - Tax Increment Financing
Urban Renewal Areas (URA) provide flexible funding for a wide range of housing activities that is funded through property taxes paid for new or renovated developments, commonly known as TIF. The objective is to use the TIF to provide direct incentives for housing development or to construct needed public improvements (streets, utilities, etc.). The City currently has three URA's in and surrounding downtown, see attached map. The Central Downtown URA includes the core Central Business District, the Mid-Town URA includes an easterly expanded CBD along 1st and 2nd Avenues, and the Consolidated Central URA that includes residential neighborhoods surrounding the CBD. These URA's cover a large geographic area and any development within the boundaries is eligible for consideration. This program requires an ongoing commitment by the owner to maintain and provide housing in order to qualify for the TIF participation.
This funding source is useful in situations where -
- There is an unusually large "up front" investment required to acquire and clear property or prepare an existing building for renovation.
- There is a need for public improvements such as streets, storm water facilities, and sanitary sewer lines.
To date, this source has only been used for one residential project - the OSADA renovation and conversion of the former Witwer Warehouse to affordable loft units. There is certainly good potential for using this funding source for future downtown housing projects and proposals would be considered on a case-by-case basis. For further information contact:
Richard Luther
Development Manager
286-5046
r.luther@cedar-rapids.org
Jennifer Pratt
Development Coordinator
286-5047
j.pratt@cedar-rapids.org
Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption (URTE)
The Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption (URTE) area designation provides that all, or a portion of, the property valuation added by new development or renovation is exempted from property tax. The funding source is similar to TIF, as described above, but is in the form of an avoided cost for the property owner over a predetermined period of time. As an example, the WaterTower Place project that is converting a former warehouse to condominium units is designated as a URTE area with the condo owners receiving a 100% exemption from property taxes over a 10-year period. The amount of exemption, and time period, varies depending on the type of occupancy and how the property is classified for assessment purposes.
This funding source has been used primarily for commercial and industrial development, but is growing as a potential source for residential participation. The URTE program comes with minimal "strings" attached and useful in situations where -
- A developer can fund the development through traditional means without direct "up front" participation by the City.
- The "avoided cost" of additional property taxes is necessary to reduce start-up costs and cash flow issues in the project early years.
- The actual benefit needs to be passed on directly to future residential owners as an incentive to encourage sale of the units.
There is certainly good potential for using this funding source for future downtown housing projects and proposals would be considered on a case-by-case basis. For further information contact:
Richard Luther
Development Manager
286-5046
r.luther@cedar-rapids.org
Jennifer Pratt
Development Coordinator
286-5047
j.pratt@cedar-rapids.org
Enterprise Zone Development Incentives (EZ)
The Enterprise Zone (EZ) is a state-designated program that provides potential incentives to "Housing Businesses" that construct new housing units or renovates existing housing units. The locally approved EZ area includes downtown and nearby residential neighborhoods on both sides of the Cedar River, see attached map. A Housing Business (developer, contractor, or Not-for-Profit Housing Developer) may receive an Iowa income tax credit up to 10% the value of the new improvements as well as a state refund of sales, service, or use taxes paid with respect to the housing development. These incentives may be used in conjunction with other local incentives such as TIF or URTE. There is a rather formal process for approval of the EZ incentives so that interested Housing Businesses should contact the City as early as possible in the development planning process. For further information contact:
Gary Hughes
Grants/Program Manager
286-5075
g.hughes@cedar-rapids.org
Community Development Block Grant/HOME Partnership (CDBG and HOME)
The CDBG and HOME programs are funded through annual grants from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These programs, targeted for near downtown neighborhoods, provide direct grants to assist low and moderate-income households to make needed repairs to their homes. This assistance includes qualified owner-occupied homes and rental units with major renovation and emergency repairs. These programs are administered by the City's Housing Services Division within the Department of Community Development. For further information contact:
Jane Benning
Housing Services Manager
286-5872
j.benning@cedar-rapids.org
Downtown Housing Study
To view the Downtown Housing Study report, please click here.
Housing Summit Information
Housing Event Participant Feedback
- Affordable 2-3 bedroom rental units which will allow pets (dogs!) with storage and parking.
- More Downtown amenities and entertainment
- Gym/Athletic Club
- Restaurants
- Small scale live entertainment
- Renewal of the surrounding historic housing district is vital for the group of people who want to live close to Downtown but not actually be Downtown. A light rail system from Downtown to Bever Park (there was one years ago) would help alleviate the need for automobiles.
- Housing suitable for artists (affordable with studio space) & small/efficiency units for singles
- Multi-level housing on the west side of the river. We have a great body of water Downtown-let's use it!
- Housing development/opportunities on the fringes of Downtown (easy access to interstate, far enough away from the center of Downtown for those people who wish to be away from the center). Develop and clean up areas along 3rd street
- Enough supporting amenities so that Downtown residents will not be dependant upon their car
-Grocery stores, restaurants, parks (dog park!)
-Walkable, pedestrian-friendly streets and sidewalks
- Pets & balconies are going to be issues renters and potential buyers want to see in any project downtown!
- Grocery store
- Smulekoff's warehouse would be an excellent housing or housing/office site.
- I would like to see multiple options of quality, airy, open, modern apartment and condo living spaces. It should also incorporate a neighborhood feel, with markets for grocery shopping, eating/dining choices and entertainment, shopping options. Housing costs and affordability should vary to attract a diverse group to enhance the overall culture of downtown Cedar Rapids. It would be best to develop multiple sites at the same time to allow the change to occur quickly. Easy access to outdoor exercise would be ideal to attract young professionals. Parking and water views are also something to focus on.
- Please renovate older/existing properties that have history and character! Retain those characteristics, improve downtown in the process and create "neighborhoods" within buildings. Not just creating an apartment feel.
- Recreation, fishing, tennis, farmers market, shops, restaurants, grocery stores. The riverfront property is underutilized.
- WaterTower Lofts are a great start but working with the Neighborhood Association to infill housing is also very important. A full grocery store (Fareway) is also very important. We all need to work together.
- Variety of housing types-townhouse/loft/2nd story. Services-grocery, entertainment, restaurant. Streetscape-trees, flowers, benches
- Townhouses, loft housing, creative re-use housing, "upper space" housing-business lower level-housing upstairs, utilize riverfront
- Encourage conversion of CBD vacant upper floors to apts.
- Attract downtown commercial services for residents-specialty markets, personal services
- Actively revitalize Oak Hill near downtown neighborhood-triangle approach: downtown, NewBo, Oakhill
- Get specific commitment from City regarding Downtown housing objectives (# of units-# of years)
- When the new intermodal transportation facility is built, make sure the facility is built strong enough to have housing built on top. When 1st Street Parkade is re-built have housing on top of it. Some of Park & Ride Lot could have housing built on top of it.
- Obviously, a mix of income-accessibility and attractiveness to a mix of all those other categories-age, race, family status, handicap/disability, and so on. I also think housing can only be one facet and that things like grocery stores, movie theaters, etc., if they could be brought in concert with the housing, is best.
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