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Council advances rezoning for Iowa River Power rehabilitation; parking and historic rules shape plan
Summary
The council introduced zoning changes and approved first reading for a planned unit development to rehabilitate the Iowa River Power building as a restaurant, event space and bakery; staff and the applicant discussed parking limits, preservation requirements and pedestrian safety improvements.
Coralville staff and project consultants presented a plan on March 24 to rehabilitate the Iowa River Power building and return it to commercial use as a restaurant, event space, bakery and social club while preserving the property’s historic character.
Community Development Director Dave Johnson said the project is being pursued as a historic tax credit rehabilitation and therefore is subject to review by the State Historic Preservation Office; because of that review, the city deferred exterior design review to the State of Iowa. The owner has requested rezoning from I‑3 (General Industrial) to C‑PUD 2 (Commercial Planned Unit Development) to allow the proposed mix of uses without forcing a full demolition-and-rebuild approach.
Civil engineer James Kincaid and property owner Mark Kaufman described site work and constraints. The building footprint is roughly 25,000 square feet with about 20,542 square feet intended for active uses; if treated as new construction the city code would require 205 parking stalls. The project proposes reconfiguring the lot to yield about 150 stalls (12 fewer than a prior restaurant had) and making tradeoffs in interior landscaping to provide the additional stalls. Staff said enhanced perimeter landscaping and improved pedestrian crossings — including a safer east–west crossing to connect the 1st Avenue sidewalk with the riverside path and pedestrian bridge stairs — are part of the final site plan.
Councilmembers asked about overflow parking and bicycle accommodations. Councilperson Mike Knudson suggested nearby private lots could be part of a solution if overflow becomes an issue; Councilperson Royce Peterson asked whether bike racks were planned, to which project engineers said they would consider racks if tenants requested them.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6–0 to recommend approval. The council introduced Ordinance No. 2026-1005 to amend the zoning ordinance and move the rezoning forward for first consideration.
