Façade improvements light up downtown Cedar Rapids

The Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust facade in downtown Cedar Rapids. CREDIT KARLIE VELVICK, CRBT

The Cedar River Tower and Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust have utilized the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance’s Downtown Façade Improvement Grant this year to help offset costs for exterior illuminating projects on their properties, the Economic Alliance reported.

Each year, the CRMEA facilitates a façade improvement program intended to encourage property and business owners within the Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) to renovate their building fronts and other exteriors plainly visible to the public.

Like much in the world of technology, lighting systems and hardware have advanced significantly in recent years.

The Alliant Energy Tower led the way back in 2018, installing modern fixtures that light up their building in the evenings. With these recent additions, there are now five buildings lit brightly in the evening in downtown, with a handful more in the pipeline.

Third Street, Second Street, and First Street West remain lit from the 2020 holiday lighting setup. Other lighting improvements have been deployed in downtown Cedar Rapids recently, including the Third Avenue bridge lights, Alliant Energy’s newly installed energy-efficient streetlights installed throughout downtown, and other taller buildings illuminated at night.

To learn more about the downtown façade improvement program, visit cedarrapids.org/downtown.