Iowa City approves contract that could bring return of downtown hotel

IOWA CITY – The City Council Tuesday night voted to hire a consultant to perform a study that could result in a prominent downtown Iowa City building once again being a hotel.The city will bring in HDR Inc., an engineering firm based out of Omaha, Neb., to develop a master plan for the south side of the 100 block of East Washington Street.The impetus for the study is to explore repurposing the Jefferson Building, 129 E. Washington St., possibly as a boutique hotel. It operated as the Jefferson Hotel from 1913 to 1967, but the eight-story building now houses University of Iowa offices on the upper floors and retailers on the ground floor.The study will cost an estimated $55,050 and take eight weeks to complete. The amount will be shared by the city, UI, MidWestOne Bank and Kresge Building LLC. The latter two are major property owners on the block. - See more at: http://thegazette.com/2013/08/06/iowa-city-approves-contract-that-could-bring-return-of-downtown-hotel/#sthash.tgUa6ef0.dpuf

Reported by:  The Gazette