Video: Iowa City high rise now open for business

The main floor of Iowa City's newest high rise is open for business, signaling substantial completion of a more than $10 million project that began in late 2012.

That tenant, Buzz Salon, relocated from across Iowa City's pedestrian mall where it spent more than 15 years. Stylists have been in the new modern-looking 1,700-square-foot space for about a week.

'It's come together really well,” said George Eganhouse, who's worked at Buzz for more than 11 years. 'I love the space, the openness. There's a lot better flow of energy coming through the floor to your station.”

The walls of Buzz, like the rest of the building, are virtually all glass, offering a full view of the pedestrian plaza outside. Polished concrete floors and concrete ceilings are another signature throughout the building.

Marc Moen developed the 14-story building, called Park@201, with a nod to its park setting and its street address, 201 E. Washington St.

It is just the second of its size in Iowa City, joining Plaza Towers, which opened in 2005 less than a block away, and is also owned and managed by Moen.

Park@201 is a tall, slender building just about 40 feet wide.

The project, which received $2.5 million in public support, was expected to be finished in fall 2013. But weather, asbestos remediation and relocating Wells Fargo Bank caused delay, Moen said, adding the timetable was pushed back early on.

The major construction at the heart of the city squeezed foot traffic, and created headaches for residents, law enforcement and city leaders, but things are back to normal now that the fences, cranes and trucks are gone.

Park@201 looks complete on the outside, and is mostly done on the inside, too.

When space on the second, third and fourth floors is finished in the next few weeks, Meta Communication, which provides project management software and collaboration tools for marketing and creative departments, will move in with a staff of more than 30, Moen said.

From a 14th floor penthouse, there's unobstructed views to virtually anywhere in the city.

One penthouse, which has a main floor with nearly 20-foot ceilings and a loft, is being used as living quarters.

The second penthouse has a few more weeks of construction. That space will be leased as the office for a yet unannounced business and its 12 employees.

On the upper floors, 19 of the 25 residential units have been sold. The other six are being rented. All are occupied other than the under construction penthouse, Moen said. Aside from the penthouse, the standard units come three per floor and range from 750 square feet to 1,200 square feet and cost $275,000 to $385,000, Moen said.

'We are selling views, not size and square footage,” Moen said. 'It's the views and the amenities.”

Moen said the demand for space in the building reinforces the need for more housing downtown. A number of proposed downtown projects have housing and retail elements, and several want to build up toward the clouds.

'Iowa City went from not having a skyline to having one,” Moen said.

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