Lang
10/2/19
The Iowa City city council moved forward on rezoning land near Ralston Creek for a new eight-story housing complex being proposed for the Riverfront Crossings District.
Capstone Collegiate Communities had asked the council to rezone the site, bordered by East Prentiss and South Gilbert Streets, to the Central Crossings subdistrict so it can be developed as residential.
The building would house 178 units averaging 780 square feet. Enhancements would be made along the east bank of Ralston Creek, including stabilizing it with rocks along the shoreline and reconstruction of the Prentiss Street Bridge.
Capstone would enter into an affordable housing agreement with the city, designating at least ten percent of the units as affordable or pay a fee in lieu.
Mayor Jim Throgmorton had reservations about the proposed eight-story height of the project. Headded he preferred a three-story project. But Mike Welch, representing Capstone, argued that anything less than four stories would still be lower than the nearby railroad tracks.
Other councilors disagreed with Throgmorton. Even Councilor Rockne Cole, who was initially elected to the council in 2015 after opposing the height of the Chauncey project on the corner of College and Gilbert Streets, said the height of the Ralston Creek project was not an issue.
The council eventually approved the rezoning 6-1, with Throgmorton the only dissenting vote.
If things go as planned, construction could start next summer and be complete by the start of the 2022-23 school year.