Historic Witwer Building restored; restaurant and offices set to open

CEDAR RAPIDS - A contemporary restaurant and business center will breathe new life into the old Witwer Building.

Greg White, 56, of Cedar Rapids, plans to open White Star Ale House in the spring on the first floor of the historic building, 303 Second Ave. SE.

In the meantime, Theresa Bornbach, 53, of Marion, will open offices soon on the second and third floors as the Business Exchange Center. Bornbach is using a concept similar to Corridor CoWorks, which she founded at 222 Third St. SE. Both offer four sizes of furnished working space for freelancers or small businesses.

The Business Exchange Center will have 55 offices for $295 to $699 monthly and provide amenities such as a conference room, paper copying and a treadmill workstation where members can plug in a laptop and walk while working.

Even as the rooms are readied for painting, Bornbach said several businesses already have committed to offices.

“There's no space like it downtown,” she said, pointing to nearly floor-to-ceiling arched windows, ornate woodwork and an atrium with brick walls and a skylight. “It's just a beautiful space.”

Built in 1895 as a post office and federal building, the site served as the Witwer Senior Center and Linn County Community Services before the 2008 flood. The building was named for Weaver Witwer, who operated a grocery store there starting in the 1930s. He donated it to Linn County in 1970.

Charles Jones, CEO of Green Development of Iowa City, purchased the 41,450-square-foot building this fall from the county for $570,004. Chengjie Huang, a friend from high school, is Green's chief financial officer and has helped Jones find investors in his native China.

Green Development has purchased a duplex and three flood-damaged properties in Iowa City. Jones, who holds an economics degree and certificate from the University of Iowa's entrepreneurship program, said he sees more potential in Cedar Rapids.

He is using historic tax credits to rehabilitate the Witwer Building.

Walls on the first floor have been stripped up to 4 feet high, where floodwaters reached. The second and third floors and a marble staircase with iron and wooden railings survived intact, as did several droplight fixtures.

An antique passenger elevator with intricate iron scrollwork and glass doors will be repaired, Jones said. The elevator's car was in the basement during the flood.

Jones, 27, also plans to move Green's headquarters to the building.

“I think it's beautiful,” he said. “It's in a prime location. Before we even closed, we had it 75 percent rented out.”

That's a feat many longtime businesspeople would envy, said White, who credits Jones for his collaborative approach.

White is perhaps best known as owner of the former Teddy's Steakhouse, 215 First Ave. NE, in the Roosevelt, another historic building in downtown Cedar Rapids.

White Star Ale House will be a casual, medium-priced restaurant with contemporary American menu featuring local, all-American products. The 230-seat restaurant will be open only for dinner, so White is not worried about parking. A sushi bar and a coffee shop are being considered to serve the daytime crowd.

White decided to re-enter the restaurant world after working as a renewable energy consultant.

White said he has long admired the Witwer Building and asked for a tour 20 years ago. A “little old lady” told White he was much too young to be in the Senior Center, he said, joking that 20 years later, he finally got the tour.

“It's the coolest building downtown,” he said.