Hunter
11/30/23
Iowa City’s Historic Preservation Commission wants to designate a Northside building that’s been owned by the same family from generation to generation as a historic landmark, but the owner says it will hamper his attempts to sell it.
The Daily Iowan reports that the property…at the corner of Linn and Bloomington Streets…was built in 1875 by Joseph Slezak, who is the great, great grandfather of the building’s owner, Gary Skarda. Ownership of the building has been passed down from generation to generation in Skarda’s family.
Our Iowa Heritage says over the years, the building held a dance hall, hotel, grocery store, saloon and Bohemian restaurant. It served as a major cultural center for the Bohemian community in Iowa City.
It’s been a pizza place since 1957 and is currently the home of Pagliai’s Pizza, the Holub Apartments and Laundromania. Skarda put the building up for sale in September for $5 million after having a leg amputated, hindering his ability to care for and maintain the building.
He says the building’s location makes it too valuable to be recognized as a historic landmark because it would prevent potential buyers from tearing it down and redeveloping it. Skarda told the DI he would be fine with the city buying it so they could do with it as they wish. Otherwise, if the Historic Commission pushes their request for historic landmark status, it would have to be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and get a supermajority vote of six from the City Council.