Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery

In June 2008, flooding covered ten square miles of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Of more than 7,000 affected parcels, many were City buildings that housed essential operations. Ryan was selected as Construction Manager on a broad range of projects, from small emergency repairs and stabilization jobs, to complex rehabilitations and new flagship buildings where the construction spans many years. When complete, Ryan will have managed more than $140 million of work for the City. The complexity of coordinating multiple funding sources, historically significant buildings, site selection considerations, environmental challenges, and public participation and procurement requirements utilized all of Ryan’s strengths.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | SIZE: 84,000 SF
The Paramount Theatre, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928 as a performing arts palace, hosting Broadway shows, concerts, comedians and orchestra events. The theatre underwent extensive expansions to restore vital electrical and mechanical services and to raise these services, as well as the green room and dressing areas, above the flood lines. In addition to the necessary flood remediation, the facility received additional theatrical component upgrades including acoustical improvements, new seating and lighting, sound upgrades, rigging capabilities and expanded stage space to accommodate larger events.

CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Anticipate LEED Platinum | SIZE: 94,105 SF
This new facility is symbolic of the City’s recovery from the flood of 2008. Its features include an auditorium, café, conference center, and a roof garden plaza with a skywalk connection to the adjacent parking structure. The project, which incorporates public art elements, will have numerous sustainable features including a geothermal HVAC system, rainwater capture to irrigate the green roof and prevent runoff, and daylight dimming/harvesting to minimize cooling and heating costs.

CITY HALL
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | SIZE: 67,140 SF
The new City Hall facility is a remodel of the historic former Federal courthouse, originally constructed in 1933. While the historic corridors, judge’s chambers, and courtroom remained largely unchanged, the balance of the building received a complete remodel to meet the needs of the City departments. For visitors entering the building, banks of mailboxes are both an impressive historical detail and a reminder of the building’s past use as the Cedar Rapids post office. Although no longer functional, they have been preserved as a notable feature in the main lobby.

PUBLIC WORKS 
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Anticipate LEED Silver | SIZE: 309,000 SF
The Cedar Rapids Public Works Facility was originally built in the 1920s and had undergone many additions and renovations since that time. As City officials reviewed damage and the options to repair or reconstruct the facility, they considered the historic significance of the building, long term operational efficiencies, the benefit to the community of having a single site for all Public Works services, and the internal cultural benefit resulting from consolidation of all departments into one space. They chose to build a new facility, named the City Services Center, which will feature three levels of space: two floors of office and one floor of warehouse. The building will reuse a significant and recognizable Art Deco component from the old facility as an exterior monument sign for the new space.

CEDAR RAPIDS CENTRAL FIRE STATION
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Anticipate LEED Platinum | SIZE: 67,000 SF
This state-of-the-art facility was designed with a focus on longevity, durability, and energy efficiency. The Fire Department wanted the exterior of the building to pay homage to the history of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, so the design incorporates architectural style elements from the City’s first Central Fire Station, built in 1917.