Cedar Rapids: After the Flood (hotel, houses, transfer)

[Tiger Beer]

Amazing photos from 2008: Cedar Rapids - Metro 250,000 - Devestated by 3,000 Year Flood - SkyscraperCity

How is Cedar Rapids now?

[Chicago60614]

Hey! That's actually my post with those pictures. Not that I care if you use them, but I saw that title on the link and thought it was awfully familiar.

[Tiger Beer]

Nice job with the photos! Spectacular!

Sorry, I should have made it very clear it was from another thread - which is your thread over there. Great photos though!

[mustang84]

I live here, and it's been slow to recover. If you drive through the residential neighborhoods that were hit, they are still largely abandoned and plenty of sagging, damaged houses are scattered throughout. Some houses were ripped clean of everything except the stud frame. A few people have started rebuilding / fixing things up in the res. areas, and the downtown area has largely come back.

Cedar Rapids will see a building boom over the next 5 years or so. There are multiple projects currently under study for downtown, but I can't reveal anything at this time. Of what is publicly known, the biggest one is the new federal courthouse and it will be a catalyst for the area along 8th Ave. Ground work has begun and steel should begin rising later this year. There are also proposals for a new economic development center, renovation to the US Cellular Center (w/ new hotel), and a new Human Services Building along 8th Ave. The 8th Ave. corridor should see some building up in the near future.

New US Courthouse

[zz4guy]

Now that the weather is nice, a lot of people are out fixing their homes. Most businesses are already repaired and running.

I think by the end of the summer things will be very much improved compared to last year.

[Chicago60614]

I was listening on the news how a huge worry from the people who have moved back is the piles and piles of debris and rotting/molding items in abandoned houses.

One woman fixed her house up all nice, but they showed the house nextdoor and the people hadn't even returned once since the flood. She said it smelled HORRIBLE, and it was only April...

[Corbyesmommie08]

I was born and raised in the heart of Cedar Rapids, over off of 18th st Nw, however when the floor waters came we were living at the time over off of Sierra Dr Ne, our apt was up high enough that it didn't get effected, however we were effected by water issue were you could only do dishes, shower and laundry on certain days...Our situation was lucky, my husband is orginally from Fort Worth, Texas and his job, Armored Car Service, the branch had been flooded out by the waters and things, we then found out that they were planning to close his branch and there was no where else to transferr to but Des Moins, and we DID NOT want to live there, as it was very expenisve to live there more than we were paying for our apt in Cedar Rapids. We moved Sept of last year and are very greatful that we did. We both looked back and thought how terriable it was that that happened, but also very greatful to be away from a city that really didn't care about it's people. My opnion of how the city handeled this flood is not good. The city itself isn't doing great, too many jobs lost because of the new city government. Cedar Rapids have left a sour taste in my mouth, the only reason I am saying this as it left my mother to use to work down at Station 1 Fire Dept without a job for 8 months, and they wanted to hire her back at less then what she was making, this makes he sick to think how bad this city has become. I am glad to be in the city Fort Worth, yes we have our problems here but the city cares for its people and makes a difference..one example that I have seen around here numerous times is police officers stopping to help people with car problems on the side of the road, I understand that Cedar Rapids is a small city in compairson to Fort Worth and Fort Worth is much bigger than Cr, but the cops are much friendlier than in Cedar Rapids, I'm not saying that they are not friendly. But only being down here for 8 months has shown me the kind of caring that we Texans are good at... I will always be an Iowan and I love my state, but Texas is my home and I love it...I am sure that I will get all kinds of negative remarks from what I have said and this is only my personal opnion and I didnt come here to get marked or what ever...

[missy1793]

Originally Posted by Corbyesmommie08

I was born and raised in the heart of Cedar Rapids, over off of 18th st Nw, however when the floor waters came we were living at the time over off of Sierra Dr Ne, our apt was up high enough that it didn't get effected, however we were effected by water issue were you could only do dishes, shower and laundry on certain days...Our situation was lucky, my husband is orginally from Fort Worth, Texas and his job, Armored Car Service, the branch had been flooded out by the waters and things, we then found out that they were planning to close his branch and there was no where else to transferr to but Des Moins, and we DID NOT want to live there, as it was very expenisve to live there more than we were paying for our apt in Cedar Rapids. We moved Sept of last year and are very greatful that we did. We both looked back and thought how terriable it was that that happened, but also very greatful to be away from a city that really didn't care about it's people. My opnion of how the city handeled this flood is not good. The city itself isn't doing great, too many jobs lost because of the new city government. Cedar Rapids have left a sour taste in my mouth, the only reason I am saying this as it left my mother to use to work down at Station 1 Fire Dept without a job for 8 months, and they wanted to hire her back at less then what she was making, this makes he sick to think how bad this city has become. I am glad to be in the city Fort Worth, yes we have our problems here but the city cares for its people and makes a difference..one example that I have seen around here numerous times is police officers stopping to help people with car problems on the side of the road, I understand that Cedar Rapids is a small city in compairson to Fort Worth and Fort Worth is much bigger than Cr, but the cops are much friendlier than in Cedar Rapids, I'm not saying that they are not friendly. But only being down here for 8 months has shown me the kind of caring that we Texans are good at... I will always be an Iowan and I love my state, but Texas is my home and I love it...I am sure that I will get all kinds of negative remarks from what I have said and this is only my personal opnion and I didnt come here to get marked or what ever...

I agree with you and the city is screwing over a lot of people who already have been screwed over by the flood! They are only concerned with rebuilding their precious city buildings and what kind of money they can make off of taxing us to death. I am on my way out as well, been wanting to leave, but since I will no longer have a job as of next month, it is time for me to make a new start somewhere else.