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Work on McGregor Masonic Block continues, with goal to complete project in spring 2023

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Demolition work and structural repairs and modifications are wrapping up this fall on McGregor’s historic Masonic Block building. According to Matt Aust, president of Black Swan Developers, the goal is to complete the multi-million-dollar project in spring 2023. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

The Masonic Block’s history and original architecture will be incorporated into the renovated spaces. Pressed metal ceilings will be among the historic touches.

Once renovated, the Masonic Block will include three commercial store fronts and 11 residential suites.

During demo work, one section of the building's back wall, from the ground level to third floor, pulled off the building. That prompted an entire section to be rebuilt. “This is something that would have happened regardless of our work and probably would have caused the whole building to be torn down,” said developer Matt Aust. “I think this is a prime example that, if this development wasn’t taking place at this time, the building might not have been saved.”

Located at 134-138 Main Street, the Masonic Block was built in 1866. It is 15,000 square feet.

“This building has a ton of history that ties into the city itself. From the Masons to the Odd Fellows, there were numerous businesses and organizations that were located in this space over time,” Aust said.

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

Demolition work and structural repairs and modifications are wrapping up this fall on McGregor’s historic Masonic Block building. According to Matt Aust, president of Black Swan Developers, the goal is to complete the multi-million-dollar project in spring 2023.

 

Located at 134-138 Main Street, the Masonic Block was built in 1866. The Masonic Temple and Lodge Hall were located on the upper floors, while the lower level housed a variety of businesses over the years, most recently the Diamond Jo Trading antique shop until it closed over a decade ago.

 

Now, major renovations are bringing the building into the 21st century.

 

Demo and structural repairs and modifications began in February, in a construction package worth $500,000 of work, said Aust. The remaining work will include final build out of the suites, HVAC and infrastructure.

 

Once complete, the 15,000-square-foot building will have three commercial store front spaces and 11 residential suites.

 

The Masonic Block’s history and original architecture will be incorporated into the renovated spaces.

 

“This building has a ton of history that ties into the city itself. From the Masons to the Odd Fellows, there were numerous businesses and organizations that were located in this space over time,” Aust said. “The fascinating part is that we’re able to preserve some of these historic touches while making beautiful modern housing suites with today’s amenities. For example, a suite might have historic artwork, pressed metal ceilings or flooring, just to name a few of the items we’re preserving.”

 

Making all this happen isn’t easy, noted Aust.

 

The pandemic caused a massive amount of inventory supply issues, which in turn caused significant price increases across the board.

 

“The subsequent inflation is also difficult to deal with for construction projects right now. Obviously, it makes this development cost significantly higher than anticipated at the start. Despite this, this project is moving forward,” Aust said.

 

The building itself also threw some curveballs. During demo work, one section of the back wall, from the ground level to third floor, pulled off the building. That prompted an entire section of the back wall to be rebuilt.

 

“This is something that would have happened regardless of our work and probably would have caused the whole building to be torn down,” Aust said. “I think this is a prime example that, if this development wasn’t taking place at this time, the building might not have been saved.”

 

“In my mind, this is such a landmark downtown building that’s extremely important for the city to save,” he added.

 

The Masonic Block project will benefit from several funding sources, including a $100,000 Community Catalyst grant awarded through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) in 2021.  The IEDA, in May, awarded $360,000 for upper story housing conversion through the Downtown Housing Grant program and, in August, the project was recipient of $943,128 in tax credits through the IEDA’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program.

 

“When you factor in all the pandemic related costs, inflation and then just doing a historic renovation in general, projects like this would not happen without the historic tax credits and other state grants that have been awarded to this project,” Aust said. “I believe this project is a prime example of why some of these state and federal programs are in place because, without them, buildings like this wouldn’t be able to be saved and repurposed for today’s use.”

 

Aust believes the long-term effects are extremely beneficial for McGregor. 

 

“With more people living downtown, they typically spend more money downtown and help give the area a vibrancy throughout the year,” he said.

 

Once renovations are complete, each suite will need to be rented out for five years due to historic tax credits related to the project, according to Aust. After this period, the plan is to sell the suites individually, with the renter at the time having the first option to purchase. 

 

“I believe it’s important to have homeowners living in these suites long term,” Aust stated. “I have a half dozen individuals who have reached out to me regarding the spaces. I plan to start taking deposits in the near future to reserve the suites.”

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