By Pat Shaver
CORALVILLE—In a few years, it will be a flourishing district with retailers, restaurants, specialty shops, housing and offices.
The Iowa River Landing district has been an ongoing project for many years, and today the area is starting to take shape with the recent opening of anchor retailer Von Maur.
“We’ve got a lot of exciting things to talk about with retailers. We have had a lot of renewed interest with Von Maur being open,” said Deanna Trumbull, president of Trumbull Consulting and director of leasing for Iowa River Landing.
A few interested retailers have scheduled site visits in the next few weeks, she said.
The Iowa River Landing district (IRL) is a 180-acre area being developed at the southeast corner of Interstate 80 and First Avenue, where the Coralville Marriott is located. The $73-million University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’ new 150,000 square foot outpatient facility opened in October 2012. Von Maur opened on July 27.
“It’s been better than they ever thought it would be. I think the amount of traffic from the interstate has already been strong for them,” she said. “We always knew that getting Von Maur open was an important step to show other retailers what the traffic flow looks like.”
Scratch Cupcakery
The next business set to open is a cupcake shop in the retail space near the Homewood Suites.
Originally, Scratch Cupcakery was slated to open this summer, but the opening was delayed until early fall, Ms. Trumbull said.
The hold-up was due to the addition of a mezzanine in the store.
“It will give them more room and more opportunities to meet their needs in this market,” she said.
The original Scratch store opened in Cedar Falls in 2010. Since then, the company has expanded the location in Cedar Falls and added stores in Waterloo and West Des Moines.
Along with cupcakes, the shop will offer hot drinks, fruit smoothies and frozen blends, slushies and fresh-squeezed lemonade. When the company started in Cedar Falls, it offered 16 cupcake flavors. That has grown to a menu of about 80 different varieties of cupcakes.
The 2,900-square-foot IRL Scratch Cupcakery will be an anchor store, so all of the baking will take place on site.
Waterstreet Coffee Bar
Waterstreet Coffee Bar will open this fall in the retail space next to the future home of Scratch Cupcakery, adjacent to the Homewood Suites.
Work on the café is expected to begin within the next 30 days, Ms. Trumbull said.
Waterstreet Coffee Bar will serve coffee, wine, local small plate menu items, and savory pastry items. Sustainable, fair-trade practices will be central to both the roasted coffee as well as the space itself.
30hop
30hop, a trendy, urban-industrial restaurant and drinking establishment, began construction this summer, with plans to open in April.
The 6,500-square-foot contemporary steel building will feature the area’s first rooftop patio. Guests will enter through a large revolving door to find themselves in an environment wrapped in windows, providing a full view of the area as they enjoy the extensive central bar or the main level outdoor patio. On the rooftop, guests will relax in a large bar area and experience three fireplaces and seating for more than 130.
30hop’s menu, updated seasonally, will begin with burgers and French fries. Other menu items will include pasta, steak, seafood, sandwich and salad dishes featuring local ingredients.
30hop will have more than 50 beers on tap in the main dining area, 30 featured on the rooftop, and various beers incorporated into the menu.
Other retailers and businesses
Many of the other tenants are expected to open next spring or early summer, Ms. Trumbull said. Work on the buildings along Main Street, leading to Von Maur, should wrap up at the end of the year or in early 2014.
JoS. A. Bank will open a 4,000-square-foot store in the IRL, the company’s second store in Iowa.
The company was established in 1905 and has 601 stores in 44 states. JoS. A Bank sells tailored and casual clothing, sportswear, footwear and accessories for men.
JoS. A. Bank has opened 190 stores in the past five years and expects to open another 200 more in the next few years. The company’s long-term plan is to grow from 600-800 stores in the U.S.
North Liberty-based Charlotte’s Deli will open its second location near JoS. A Bank.
“We have a couple other tenants that we are working through final details with. We should be able to make an announcement in the next month or so,” Ms. Trumbull said.
Residential and office
Watts Development Group will build a multi-story residential development that will include 60 condominiums located on Ninth Street, leading to the Marriott, and 13 townhouses above retail space on Iowa River Landing’s Main Street. A mix of one- and two-bedroom units will be available for sale and rent in addition to 15,000 square feet of retail space.
Currently in the design phase, construction is anticipated to begin in early 2014, with a projected opening of spring 2015.
In the two buildings on Ninth Street, there will about 40,000 square feet of office space available, Ms. Trumbull said.
