530 W Broadway - 5th and West Revitalization Area

[ita]

Owner's of 530 W Broadway, the old EQ hairstyling school, submitted plans for renovation of the building as well as outlining an overall plan for the defined area as the 5th and West Revitalization Area. Please see the attached agenda. Description of the project is on page 39. The individual parcels are identified from 53-82. Renderings are found on pages 88-91. 15 residential units; good mix of 10 studios, 4 2-bedrooms, 1 1-bedroom. First floor retail spaces.

Agenda list (look at the agenda for 4/6/2020): https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/2142/Agendas-Minutes

I have a question for anyone familiar with this area, which of the properties is the old Council Bluffs Community School District building?

[skinzfan23]

The building just to the north (12 Scott St) is the old school district building.

I first mentioned this back in July 2018 under the 100 block heading, but the picture is no longer available. I will try to find another one of what the building used to look like.

Edit: sorry the building I was thinking about was 500 W Broadway, just one block to the east.

[ita]

The building just to the north (12 Scott St) is the old school district building.

I first mentioned this back in July 2018 under the 100 block heading, but the picture is no longer available. I will try to find another one of what the building used to look like.

Edit: sorry the building I was thinking about was 500 W Broadway, just one block to the east.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the confirmation. I feel like Council Bluff is always looked over when it comes to potential development opportunities. This could end up being a nice little block.

[skinzfan23]

Historic building at 530 W. Broadway in store for $5.3 million facelift

The 712 Initiative, a nonprofit redevelopment organization for Council Bluffs, plans to start renovating the structure early next year, reopening it as commercial and residential space in early 2022.

Built in the late 1800s, the building was originally four buildings with shared walls, very common for downtown buildings at the time, Garst said. Over the years, businesses in the building expanded to more than one building, most notably the Iowa Clothes Store, and eventually it became one building.

When completed by early 2022, the renovated building will feature 10 studio apartments ranging in size from 500 to 620 square feet; one one-bedroom apartment of 700 square feet; and four two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 720 to 770 square feet. Garst said that some of the apartments would be affordable, while the remainder would be at market rate.

In addition, the project would include four workspace areas on the ground floor ranging in size from 613 square feet to 1,975 square feet. These could be utilized artists and craftsmen, with a work and display area at the front and living space in the rear, or businesses such as small insurance agencies or other businesses that are now being operated out of the owners’ homes.

The 712 Initiative will be following that with improvements, slated for 2022, to 12 Scott St., the former Council Bluffs Community School District’s administrative headquarters, and new construction at 510 W. Broadway — now a parking lot – bringing 116 new residential units to downtown.

Improvements to 12 Scott Street will add 23 market rate units, including 16 one-bedroom apartments and seven two-bedroom apartments. The renovation would also include a 725 square foot roof deck. The project has a projected cost of $5 million.

The new construction proposed for 510 W. Broadway — the third and final phase of the redevelopment — would be a five-story structure with covered parking at ground level and 78 apartment units as well as a community room on the floors above. With a projected cost of $16.9 million, the building would feature three studio apartments, 52 one-bedroom units and 23 two-bedroom apartments.

The 712 Initiative anticipates the three-phase project will be completed in seven years.

This is great news for the section of CB. I wish Omaha would do this more frequently, sure there are quite a few apts that have been developed in old office buildings downtown, but I hope this momentum continues. I am also excited that this also includes some new construction on a current parking lot. If they can do anything close to the new buildings on the 100 Block, this will be an amazing addition.

[U R my Helix]

More on the 530 West Broadway redevelopment from WOWT on 10/28/2020 Link to WOWT report
They also mention the phase 2 on Scott street and a phase 3 in the parking lot across the street. as noted previously.
Added to eomahaforums apartment index and the Omaha apartment map

78 Units @ 510 W Broadway
15 Units at 530 W Broadway
23 Units at 12 Scott Street
======
116 Total per developers rendering board.

[U R my Helix]

The building at Scott and W. Broadway (530 & 536 W Broadway) Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Should be about ready to reopen.
Renamed the Cohen Building it was built in 1925. The new name honors the former retailer "Iowa Clothes". This is phase one of the three phase plan for the area and looks to still be on track. An opening was planned for July 2022. 15 units of apartments and 4 commercial bays.

[skinzfan23]

Has anything changed recently. I drove by a few weeks ago and it still looked like the top picture, seemed like they had a lot of work to go

[U R my Helix]

Has anything changed recently. I drove by a few weeks ago and it still looked like the top picture, seemed like they had a lot of work to go

Well, that’s disappointing. The 712 Initiative made announcements in July and October 2021 that restoration is underway with projected opening in July 2022. At least funding shouldn’t be the issue. They did report receiving brownfield tax credits, a $300,000 Kiewit foundation grant and as of the 2020 posts, 80% of the required 5.3 million in funding had already been received. I haven't seen any progress postings after the underway announcements.

[Brad]

Has anything changed recently. I drove by a few weeks ago and it still looked like the top picture, seemed like they had a lot of work to go

I agree, when I picked up my taxes across the street in early April, it still looked like that too.

[thenewguy]

I've been by there a few times in the last week. There are definitely workers on site. May not be as noticable from the exterior, but there were hard hats outside and inside, so it looks to be moving along...at least to some degree.

[U R my Helix]

The Alley Poyner Macchieto Architecture and Lund-Ross Constructors FB page mention work progressing and "later this year" they will be starting on the 12 Scott street building. So it appears things are still moving along on the overall plan.

[skinzfan23]

They were painting them yesterday.

[thenewguy]

Open house at 4 pm today

[Coyote]

Council Bluffs building older than Civil War turned into housing:
'It's wonderful to see the lights back on'

Residents of 18 new apartments in downtown Council Bluffs will be calling a 165-year-old building home. The Cohen Building was a long-time retail spot in Council Bluffs and, most recently, was home to the EQ School of Hair Design, before it relocated. It has since become SOHO Hair Academy. The 712 Initiative, a nonprofit named for the familiar western Iowa area code, bought the building in late 2018. The $6.2 million project renovated the whole building, with three retail spots on the main level and apartments putting the upper levels to use.



Council Bluffs building turned into apartments

One of the oldest buildings in the metro area has been revamped in downtown Council Bluffs. The building pre-dates the Civil War and it's preserved as a business and apartment space.

[skinzfan23]

Wow I knew the building was old but didn’t realize it was 165 years old (1858)

[skinzfan23]

Photo update from today: