IOWA CITY – A major site plan submitted to the city on July 21st indicates that a student housing development in Iowa City’s Riverfront Crossing district may be nearing construction phase after originally being proposed in 2019. The development will replace existing structures at 305 & 315 E. Prentiss St and 625 S. Gilbert St.
At last reporting by the Iowa City Press-Citizen in October of 2020, the structure was to rise to eight-stories and include 211 dwelling units. The housing density is 131.8 units per acre giving the project a deeply urban character. The development, created by Capstone Collegiate Communities, received a four-story height bonus subject to special provisions regarding energy efficiency and a contribution to the city’s public art fund. The project will also provide public pedestrian space and stabilization to the banks of Ralston Creek, which abuts the property. It is unclear if the improvements to the creek are an additional factor in the height bonus; however, public access to the creek is a repeatedly emphasized element of the city’s Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan.
During the October 2020 council meeting that awarded the height bonus, then council member John Thomas offered waiving minimum parking requirement as an alternative to granting the bonus floors, “if we had been able to reduce the parking requirements, that would have brought the building height down. It also would [have] significantly reduced the cost of the project… that can result in a lower rent.” The base of the proposed structure is to contain three levels of parking with 203 spots.
Thomas’ comments reflect a growing awareness and scrutiny of parking requirements, especially in urban cores, from The Atlantic to Vox. With a reduction in the parking requirement, the project could provide the same housing density without proliferating space for cars. Students, who the project is targeting, would be located within easy walking distance of campus and downtown. Ample parking may encourage residents to maintain and use personal cars, rather than seek alternatives, such as Iowa City and Cambus’ fare-free bus services.
According to the current plan submission, the project development is being led by Welch Design and Development along with Axiom Consultants. The intended construction timeline is unclear and the site plan is still under review after failing an initial check on August 7th.
More information will be provided as the development continues.
Update: As of April 2024, the site of the proposed development was listed for sale, indicating that the project may be cancelled.
-Read the August 2019 presentation by Welch Design to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
-Read the October 2020 city council transcript regarding the height bonus.