One of Iowa City’s oldest surviving commercial structures is getting a new life.

The building at 203–205 N. Linn St. on the city’s Northside — listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 and home to more than 160 years of commerce — is undergoing an extensive renovation and is expected to reopen in summer 2026 with two new ground-floor tenants: Bread Worthy Bakery and Gavin Mercantile.

Peter and Meghan Byler purchased the building in March 2025 and have since undertaken a renovation that includes updates to mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire suppression and structural systems. Workers uncovered several historically significant features during the process, including original columns with decorative rosettes, an entrance to an 1860s-era tunnel system in the basement, and the remains of a long-forgotten entry staircase that will be reintegrated into the updated design.

Shadow boxes documenting the building’s history and displaying artifacts found during renovation will be installed in a shared interior hallway.

“We want North Linn Street to be a destination for people from Iowa City and beyond,” Peter Byler said. “A place you would come to buy something special, or to have that special meal.”

The building dates to 1862, when the northwest corner of Market and Linn streets was constructed as the Union Bakery. The basement housed bread ovens, and underground tunnels connected the building to neighboring German breweries along Linn and Market streets, which supplied the bakery with yeast. Upper floors served as boarding rooms for men and women, with shared bathrooms on each level.

In the 1890s, a northern and western addition brought a tavern — The Union Public House — to the site, and the building operated as a combination bakery, tavern and boarding house for roughly five decades. The upper floors later became The Central Rooming House, then The Central Hotel.

In 1929, the building was acquired by George Kanak, original proprietor of George’s Buffet, who opened The Central Café and advertised sandwiches and a glass of beer for 10 cents. Later tenants included Don’s Central Tap, Gamble’s Hardware, Sutton’s TV and Radio, Ordinary Bike Shop, Northside Books, The Haunted Bookshop, Real Compact Discs and Records, the Northside Bistro and Goosetown Café.

The incoming bakery continues a thread from the building’s earliest days. Bread Worthy Bakery, which has operated out of a home kitchen and at the Iowa City Farmers Market since 2021, will occupy 203 N. Linn St. — the same corner storefront where the Union Bakery operated more than 160 years ago.

Gavin Mercantile, described as an elevated provisions and gift shop, will occupy 205 N. Linn St.

The building’s upper floors are being converted into 12 small residential units, each with a private kitchen and bathroom — echoing the structure’s long history as a boarding house and rooming hotel. The units are intended to offer reasonably priced housing for residents who want to live in the Northside neighborhood.

No opening dates have been announced. Both businesses are expected to share additional details through their social media channels.

Need to know

The building: 203–205 N. Linn St., Iowa City — one of the city’s oldest surviving commercial structures, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

The owners: Peter and Meghan Byler purchased the property in March 2025 and launched an extensive renovation shortly after.

The tenants: Bread Worthy Bakery will occupy 203 N. Linn St.; Gavin Mercantile, an elevated provisions and gift shop, will occupy 205 N. Linn St.

The timeline: Both businesses are expected to open in summer 2026.

The history: The site has operated continuously since 1862, when it opened as the Union Bakery — making Bread Worthy’s arrival a return to the building’s origins.

The housing: The upper floors are being converted into 12 small, self-contained residential units with private kitchens and bathrooms, aimed at residents seeking reasonably priced housing in the Northside neighborhood.