An iconic Iowa City building with bohemian roots is one step closer to being designated a historic landmark, a move the owner says relates more to the restaurant it houses than the building itself. The structure, officially known as the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building but referred to colloquially as the Pagliai Pizza building, has been the subject […]
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Click here to purchase a paywall bypass linkAn iconic Iowa City building with bohemian roots is one step closer to being designated a historic landmark, a move the owner says relates more to the restaurant it houses than the building itself.
The structure, officially known as the Slezak-Holub-Skarda building but referred to colloquially as the Pagliai Pizza building, has been the subject of a months-long debate concerning owner rights vs. historic preservation, with both sides equally attempting to persuade the council over the past few months.
The petition to designate 302-316 E. Bloomington St. as a historic landmark began this past fall, when owner Gary Skarda put the building up for sale in September 2023 for $5 million. Currently, the property is zoned CB-2 Central Business Service, but would rezone as CB-2 with a Historic District Overlay (OHD/CB-2) if the council passes the ordinance.
A February article in the CBJ said the Historic Preservation Commission, a department of the city of Iowa City, met with Mr. Skarda sometime after October to discuss the process of historic landmark designation, and what it would mean for the owner of the property. Following that meeting, the Friends of Historic Preservation hired local historian, Jennifer Price, to complete the site inventory form that documents the history, integrity and significance of the property.
Mr. Skarda believes the push to preserve the building has less to do with remembering the city’s Czech heritage and more to do with Pagliai’s Pizza, which has been an iconic eating establishment in Iowa City for more than six decades.
“Everyone remembers Pagliai’s Pizza. They wouldn’t remember the building other than Paglai’s Pizza," he said at the April 16 meeting.
Mr. Skarda’s concern is that the historic overlay zoning would put a constraint on what future owners can and can’t do with the property, thus reducing its marketability.
Rex Brandstatter, RE/MAX realtor for the Pagliai building, said they have made potential buyers aware of the possible rezoning. “There are interested parties, but they haven’t run away yet,” he said, in a phone call with the CBJ, when asked if the historic overlay rezoning has dissuaded interest in the sale.