Belltower Lofts project at former Marion Methodist Church again moving forward

After a series of revisions and assorted delays, the Belltower Lofts redevelopment project for the former Marion United Methodist Church in Uptown Marion is again moving forward. The project, with a total cost of $10 million to $11 million, will transform the former church at the corner of 12th Street and Eighth Avenue into a 55-unit residential complex with on-site tenant parking, offices, a workout room and other amenities. This week, the project came before both the Marion Historic Preservation Commission and the Marion Planning & Zoning Commission for review. The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously Jan. 9 to approve limited demolition on the church site, mostly comprising removal and relocation of the church’s stained glass windows, as well as removal of a portion of the brick facade and a drive-under canopy on the building’s west side. The board also agreed that the church building has “historic architectural significance” to Marion, agreeing with Tallgrass historian Leah Rogers’ 2009 conclusion that the structure was a contributing part of the Marion Uptown Commercial Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was listed on Preservation Iowa’s 2022 “Most Endangered Properties.” The board also agreed that the project’s transformation of the former church into a housing development would bring economic value to Marion, as contrasted with its previous function as a tax-exempt church. Then later Jan. 9, the Planning & Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend rezoning the site from Uptown-1 to Planned Unit Development to allow the first floor of the former church and classroom wing to be used for housing.

Original development plans for the Belltower Lofts project in Marion called for demolition of the church’s more modern classroom addition, but that building will now be retained and updated, Martin Gardner Architecture president Kyle Martin said. The building was the second First Methodist Church in the Uptown District, according to city documents. Begun in 1895, the building was completed and dedicated in 1896. The building was designed by the well-known architectural firm of Bell and Kent of Council Bluffs, while a Marshalltown firm served as the contractor. The stained glass windows came from the Kansas City Art Glass Company. The building remained as a Methodist church until its sale in 2017 to the First Pentecostal Church of Cedar Rapids, and then more to 1277 8th Avenue LLC, a development partnership between Conlon Construction and High Properties. “We appreciate the commission's effort on this important building,” High Properties owner Darryl High told the Historic Preservation Commission. “We're excited to finally hopefully get to a point where we can get started.” A final site plan for the project is expected to come before the Planning & Zoning Commission in February, and developers say they hope to begin asbestos abatement and other site work this spring, with a potential goal of completing the project by the end of 2024. Since an estimated $2.595 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds will be used to help fund the project, at least 15 units in the project will be reserved for residents at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

The Belltower Lofts project marks a dramatic change for the future of the church and its soaring bell tower, which had been targeted for complete demolition on several previous occasions, most recently after sustaining significant damage in the 2020 derecho. But Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly led a campaign to save the church from the wrecking ball, pursuing several development leads before Conlon Construction agreed to purchase the property for redevelopment in 2022. ““Everyone was resigned to the fact that it was going to be demolished,” Mr. AbouAssaly said at the time. “It was keeping me up at night, but I knew we had to try. It’s such an important piece of our skyline and an important piece of our historic district. History should be driving our economic development. A building like that can drive the trajectory of the Uptown. The whole flavor of our town is in those historic buildings. It’s the soul of the community.”