Courthouse Construction Photo Thread

[JMsioux]

Definately looking forward to seeing the Christmas tree being placed on the steel when the last piece is in place.

[mustang84]

3/17/10 - St. Patty's Day update






Human Services Building

[mustang84]

3/20/10




And just a skyline shot from O Ave. NW

[mustang84]

3/29/10 - The pace of the steel is picking up now that warmer weather has returned



Extrapolated version of the above image. I don't think it will be as tall as I originally thought, although it could also be due to the perspective of GAB being a bit closer.



Building the north stair tower of Human Services


Shots driving by the site

[Brady]

Thanks for the frequent photo updates. This building is going to be very impressive in downtown. I'm looking forward to watching the progress over the summer.

[mustang84]

4/5/10 - Sixth floor steel should be starting soon




Human Services

[mustang84]

4/11/10 - fifth floor steel is complete...three more floors to go





Human Services

[mustang84]

A couple updates

4/18/10



4/21/10

[mustang84]

5/22/10 - It's been a long time since I've updated...lots going on lately and I haven't had much time to get out and get pictures. Steel is finishing up and should be done soon.

Here are some from 5/15



And from today

[DMRyan]

Great new blog mustang!

As always, thanks for the updates. Looks like the courthouse will easily top out and have steel erection completed yet this month.

[mustang84]

Thanks, Ryan. Glad to see I had at least one visitor! It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping it will grow in time.

[Ingersoll1978]

Thanks, Ryan. Glad to see I had at least one visitor! It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping it will grow in time.

Just so you know...I always look at the updated pics too!

[hawk61401]

Always great to see the updated pics. Salt Lake City is building a new 10 story courthouse too: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7053 ... house.html

I like CR's better!

[JMsioux]

Thanks, Ryan. Glad to see I had at least one visitor! It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping it will grow in time.

Just so you know...I always look at the updated pics too!

Hell, I live here in CR and look at the pictures. I have also bookmarked the blog. Now, let's get the Christmas tree on top of that skeleton so we can start to see some glass work being done.

[Mastermind]

Thanks, Ryan. Glad to see I had at least one visitor! It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping it will grow in time.

Great work, i love your images!

[mustang84]

5/27/10 - finishing up the 8th floor penthouse


Human Services Building being enclosed

[mustang84]

6/3/10: Big update. Courthouse steel finished this afternoon, and the Human Services Building is really moving along.

[mustang84]

6/7/10

[DMRyan]

Excellent photos and I think that's my favorite angle that you capture the progress of this building from. This angle is probably one of the more flattering of the skyline as well, it makes it look fairly large and interesting. Of course having this giant building being constructed definitely helps. There will definitely be a wall of modern buildings along the riverwalk if that Great America Building 2 ever gets built. It sounds like there may be a prayer that additional modern office space could be warranted if Cedar Rapids lands the 500 Godaddy.com jobs they're trying for.

I think many in Cedar Rapids will surprised by the newfound since of hometown pride and the general morale boost that all of this construction will provide. I fully expect all of this to final give CR the downtown spin off with development that it's been missing for the rest of the decade. In another year, I fully expect downtown Cedar Rapids to have more under construction or in the planning stages than any other place in Iowa.

[mustang84]

Plenty of people complained about that courthouse when it was in the planning stages, but I think there will be a change in attitude once it's completed. Just walking around that part of town feels different already, with the courthouse looming over everything and Human Services going up a block away. Agreed on the hometown pride...this should be a definite confidence booster for both downtown and the metro. This town is going to look so different in five years if everything gets built. Suddenly, CR is an exciting place to be, and none of this would have happened if not for the flood.

I was sketching last night and dreamt up some mixed-use ideas for CR sites that are currently being demo'ed or planned for demolition. The one on the left is a mixed-use residential tower with a history museum & flood museum occupying the lower levels. This would be the former site of the First Ave. Parkade, which is slated for demolition soon. The one on the right is a mixed-use office tower with a parking garage on lower levels, the former site of the Siegal Building. While something of this magnitude is a long shot off, I hope some developer with big ideas can transform these two sites...the riverfront location holds so much potential.



I also did a blog post on the subject: http://urban-corridor.blogspot.com/2010/06/mixed-use-study-new-city-manager.html

[Ingersoll1978]

Nice website Mustang. We'll have to add that to our links page!

[mustang84]

Thanks Ingersoll.

6/22/10 construction update...apparently precast will begin very soon. I was wrong on the post earlier this month about courthouse steel being finished...it actually finished up about a week later (they added more steel to the atrium and the north canopy).

[mustang84]

Courthouse construction update 7/12/10




Human Services. The century-old Sinclair stack in the background will be coming down next week.

[JMsioux]

It's too bad that the Human Services building couldn't have been built on the corner where the small Bills Bros. are currently at. Certainly would have looked nice to have the courthouse, Y, and Human Services lined up along 8th rather than having that gap with those other buildings in between.

[Brady]

Yeah.. the Bill Bros seem to really hold out on their property at that corner - they occupy three corners of the intersection, including a small lot next to the block that contains the relatively new YMCA. Evidently there are ideas to build a second "twin" building at the corner if/when Bill Bros finally gives up their lot.

[mustang84]

7/18/10 - precast panels being lifted into place along the north facade.

[hawk61401]

I'm trying to grasp the magnitude of this building and how it will effect the CR skyline. This is a big city type courthouse! And I am going to give it the ultimate compliment. I am jealouse it's not in Des Moines. Kudos to Cedar Rapids. The arching stone face of the building covered by glass, 100 feet tall and 300 feet wide, is going to look frickin' awesome.

The Great America Building is in the bottom and center of this photo and the courthouse will be a little bit taller.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowakaper/ ... 9/sizes/l/

[mustang84]

I'm trying to grasp the magnitude of this building and how it will effect the CR skyline. This is a big city type courthouse! And I am going to give it the ultimate compliment. I am jealouse it's not in Des Moines. Kudos to Cedar Rapids. The arching stone face of the building covered by glass, 100 feet tall and 300 feet wide, is going to look frickin' awesome.

The Great America Building is in the bottom and center of this photo and the courthouse will be a little bit taller.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowakaper/ ... 9/sizes/l/

It feels even bigger in person, especially since there is really nothing around it except the YMCA, the ARC, and a few parking lots. I can't wait to see what develops around it...I know the city is looking at building a new parking garage across the street, but hopefully this will also kick Great America 2 into gear.

By the way, impressive photo!

[DMRyan]

This probably isn't likely in the near future, but with CR about to go on a major upswing with new downtown construction, I wonder what the chances are to ever see a new tallest building on the skyline. Looking at that aerial photo Hawk posted and seeing a pretty good cluster of downtown density, I can't help but think this skyline deserves something more prominent than the rather ugly Alliant Energy Building as its tallest. I don't know what would drive construction of something like that unless CR sees the addition of more corporate might. I don't believe Rockwell Collins will ever look at something like this since they seem to be perfectly situated where they're at. Something to put Cedar Rapids' skyline on the map would sure be neat though.

Anyways, this courthouse is shaping up to be beautiful. Hopefully CR can complete a little riverwalk of their own someday to complement what really could be a neat area along at least one side of the riverfront.

Hawk, the federal government is currently scouting sites in Des Moines for a substantial courthouse construction similar to what you see in Cedar Rapids. This is a ways down the road, but something to keep in mind as a project in the pipeline over the next 5 or so years. It sounds like they're considering doing a little more than the original proposal of simply buidling an addition between the existing federal courthouse and the annex built in 1995.

[mustang84]

This probably isn't likely in the near future, but with CR about to go on a major upswing with new downtown construction, I wonder what the chances are to ever see a new tallest building on the skyline. Looking at that aerial photo Hawk posted and seeing a pretty good cluster of downtown density, I can't help but think this skyline deserves something more prominent than the rather ugly Alliant Energy Building as its tallest. I don't know what would drive construction of something like that unless CR sees the addition of more corporate might. I don't believe Rockwell Collins will ever look at something like this since they seem to be perfectly situated where they're at. Something to put Cedar Rapids' skyline on the map would sure be neat though.

As nice as it is to dream, I don't see a new tallest happening anytime soon...at least in this decade. Perhaps when the new convention center is up and running and the library and courthouse have been completed there may be some interest in a new mid-rise, but anything taller than Alliant is a very slim chance. I think our only hope would be if it was a mixed-use building with condos. Rockwell HQ will never leave the C Ave. campus; they have a lot of pride in that area. Unfortunately we don't have the corporate muscle at the moment to promote the addition of a new tallest to our skyline.