Work on Marion Methodist Church set for 2024

Construction to start and wrap next year on renovation into multifamily housing

By Marissa Payne, The Gazette MARION — Work is one step closer to beginning on a renovation that will transform Marion Methodist Church — a historic building that was saved from demolition through a last-minute deal in 2022 — into Belltower Lofts apartments.

The Marion City Council last week signed off on a development agreement for the use of $2.595 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds toward the project, which will build 55 rental units and common spaces at the southeast corner of Eighth Avenue and 12th Street in Marion. The federal government awarded a total $57.6 million to the state of Iowa, mostly to projects in Linn County, to aid in recovery from the 2020 derecho.

Built in 1896, the church was most recently home of the Pentecostals of Greater Cedar Rapids. It was named last year as one of the most endangered properties in Iowa by Preservation Iowa. It was sold to Conlon Construction for just under $100,000 to be saved and redeveloped.

Under the terms associated with using these funds, at least 51 percent of 29 rental units — 15 units — must be leased to people or households at or below 80 percent of the area median family income. That’s for the portion of the project covered by CDBG funds.

Darryl High, principal and founder of High Properties, said the rest of the units will be market-rate. Overall, the project cost is about $10 million to 11 million, High said.

The developer also received $650,000 in 2022 in brownfield redevelopment tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority toward the project.

“The church — including the bell tower, including the bell — will be saved and put in a position to be an important

part of the Uptown landscape for the next 100 years,” High said.

According to City Manager Ryan Waller’s weekly memo to the community, the project “continues to evolve as the developers review the market conditions.

In addition to saving the original church building, the intent is now to utilize the former classroom and office spaces of the building and the parking lot for on-site tenant parking.” The project is anticipated to come before the council for a formal review in January.

Matt Buckley, the senior project manager with Conlon Construction, said Conlon still is working with the city of Marion to develop the project.

Work has not started, but crews will move forward with asbestos abatement and selective interior demolition in January. High said construction is slated to begin in March and the project is anticipated to wrap up in 2024.

“The original portion of the church is planned to be refurbished, brought back to the original character as much as possible,” said Kyle Martin, president of Martin Gardner Architecture. “The 1990s addition and the original midcentury classroom addition are going to be modernized.”

There also will be common amenities including a workout room, mailroom, leasing office and social spaces, Martin said.

“I think everybody’s excited to see the project go to the next steps,” Martin said.

High said the project has had an evolution of design and is smaller than initially anticipated, but fits the neighborhood better.

“I think it makes better use of the property as a whole,” High said. “It’s not as tall, it’s not as big, but it’s going to be a really unique project when it’s completed.”

Some windows were removed before the church was sold and will be reconditioned and part of the project, High said. It’s taken a lot of effort on behalf of the design, engineering and development teams, as well as the city and the state, to deliver these units, he said.

“We’re going to basically achieve the main goal when the Conlon group was contacted by the city of saving the church,” High said. “ … Redeveloping old historic buildings, much less a church, is not for the faint of heart.”

Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com