Hunter
04/13/26
Iowa City’s City Council is advancing amendments that would allow two vacant downtown hotels to be converted into residential housing units.
The Corridor Business Journal reports the first reading of the ordinance creating the two amendments was approved unanimously by the Council on April 7th. They would apply to the three downtown Iowa City hotels, specifically hotelVetro and Hotel Chauncey, which have been empty since closing in November as part of foreclosure proceedings.
The amendments would exempt hospitality facilities that are part of the city’s central business district from parking and open space requirements. This would open the door for a developer to convert the hotels into full-time residential units.
Anne Russett is a senior planner in the Iowa City Neighborhood and Development Services division. She told the CBJ that no one’s approached staff with an offer to purchase hotelVetro and the Hotel Chauncey, but the amendments open up additional options for a potential buyer of the properties.
A link to the full article from the Corridor Business Journal is available below.