Report of the Properties Subcommittee
to Facilities Steering Committee
March 13, 2014
The Properties Subcommittee was formed in November 2013 with the charge to examine existing
facilities to assess whether they are good candidates for a future UUSIC site. We have been quite
disappointed in the number of properties on the market in the past five months, none of which meet
the architectural program's goal and our own expectations.
Over the course of touring properties and meeting with real estate agents to find a suitable realtor, we
have met with four different commercial real estate agents, and they all have the same opinion: we
would be best served seeking a property in a residential and/or mixed use area than a commercial zone,
for financial value in cost per square footage, green space and parking availability, and transportation
ease (our members and visitors already reside in residential areas for the most part.)
We learned from one of the realtors that some commercial properties are never listed on MLS; a
number of real estate transactions occur among developers, and deals are made before properties are
listed on the market.
We have toured four properties for sale since November: AEA, Lensing, and Ralston Creek in Coralville,
and 911 N. Governor St. in Iowa City.
We have also investigated the former Hope United Methodist Church property at 2929 E. Court St. in
Iowa City, which held some interest within the congregation, and found it was sold to a new church in
November 2013.
200 and 210 Holiday Road, Coralville IA (formerly AEA and Lensing Funeral Home): Of all the
properties viewed, the combined properties of AEA and Lensing held the most potential, although still
not satisfactory for our needs. The properties (2.56 acres combined) are attractively located, with trees
along one border, and in a mixed residential/commercial area, conveniently located north of I80 and
near 1st Ave.
The square footage falls short of the program's 21,000 desired sq ft however; AEA has 8,570 sq ft and
Lensing has 2,888 plus basement. The AEA building's central area has 4,752 sq ft, which meets our
desired 4,000 sq ft for sanctuary, has lofted ceilings in the center of the space, and the building has
additional space footage for offices and restrooms. The Lensing property, however, would have to be
completely gutted, and, even with the basement, does not have the space needed for social hall,
classrooms, kitchen, and meeting rooms. It is also on a different elevation than the AEA property, which
would have to be addressed. The two main buildings do not have any visual similarity whatsoever.
Another concern was not enough parking spaces (currently approximately 130 between the two
properties), although there is some land where a few more could be added, eating into possible green
space. The Lensing property also has a charming 676 sq ft building (currently a pet crematorium) on the
corner of the property, which could perhaps be used for a meeting space. The listing price for AEA (in
November) was $940,000 and had been on the market for at least two years and Lensing was $750,000.
2301 US 6, Coralville IA (formerly Ralston Creek): This property was viewed before it went on the
market, so we didn't receive any paperwork for this property. The property consists of two buildings:
the retail building and a large warehouse in the back. The property is located on Highway 6 in Coralville
in the midst of prime commercial real estate, and the owner was asking 3.5 million last year.
The finished retail building, which is an odd-shaped letter P on different levels (with the cutout of the
letter P being a small off-center outdoor atrium), retains an industrial look because its ductwork is
visible throughout on the fairly low ceiling. Because of its low ceilings and disjointed layout, there are
no sightlines from any of its wings to the others. The warehouse, at a different elevation but joined by
a ramp, looks like a typical big box store: a tall, apparently uninsulated, metal shell, with no windows
and three large garage doors. It would be a challenge to easily repurpose this space for classrooms,
social hall, offices or even the sanctuary. The noise of train whistles from the opposite side of Hwy 6
permeates both buildings, reminding one of our current fire station sirens. There are approximately 40
parking spaces in front and along one side, with no room to expand.
We dismissed this property due to its location, its asking price, perceived enormous cost to renovate, its
dysfunctional layout, no green space, unless you count the tiny atrium, and lack of suitable parking and
no space to expand either building or parking. We would be paying commercial prices for a non-idyllic,
non-commercial use.
911 N. Governor St, Iowa City, IA (formerly Social Services Building): This property, conveniently
located close to downtown and in a residential area, was toured recently and has been on the market
for over a year. It consists of several lots, which, if combined, would total about 2.9 acres. Part of one
side borders Happy Hollow Park, which would allow for our only green space, the other sides border
apartment buildings, Governor St. and rental houses.
There is a building on one of the lots which has 12,000 sq ft, and has already been partially gutted. Not
only is the space insufficient for our needs, but it would have to be completely gutted to the studs or
demolished (it currently consists of 60 small offices and plumbing/heating/ac would have to be
reinstalled). There is no way of knowing, at this point, if it can support a second story. There are not
enough parking spaces, so portions of the additional lots would be needed for parking. There is only
access on N. Governor St., and it is doubtful that access to N. Dodge St would be granted through the
existing apartment building parking lot that borders N. Dodge.
Asking price for the reconfigured lots of 2.9 acres is 2.2 million, and the realtor would work with us on
demo costs. We feel the N. Governor property, although having a good location, is not a viable
"property" choice due to an unusable building, limited space, and price. A member of the land
committee also toured it, since it is slightly more viable as land than property.
In conclusion, the Properties Subcommittee has not found any suitable candidates for future UUSIC use,
but that does not mean that something may not come on the market in the future. We realize that one
of the greenest options for our future would be repurposing an existing building, but it seems the
current market in Iowa City is not at all unusual in that there are not many options for us. We have also
toured Agudas Achim, in part to see how another congregation successfully repurposed an existing
building, but also to gain inspiration on how they met relocation challenges and incorporated elements
from their old building into the new, something which could be an option for UUSIC, whether we
repurpose, tear down and rebuild, or build new.
Sharon Beckman, Tom McMurray, and Chris Malloy
Properties Subcommittee