Sioux City historic buildings get new life as housing

SIOUX CITY | From his living room, Charlie Cowell can look out the window and see his office at City Hall.

Cowell, 26, moved last May into a one-bedroom condo in the historic Williges Buildingat 713 Pierce St.

"I'm not a big fan of commuting,'' said Cowell, a city planner. "I like to walk and it's next to my work."

How close? By cutting through an alley, it's a jaunt of 40 yards.

The top floor of the three-story Willegeswas converted into seven upscale lofts with such amenities as granite counter-tops and hardwood floors. Priced between $104,000 and $152,900 depending on the size, the units sold out within six or seven months of completion.

The 1917 Willeges Building -- originally a fur factory and later a women's clothing store -- was saved from the wrecking ball in 2007 by developer Bart Connelly. The lower two floors had previously been converted into offices for a law firm and other tenants.

The Willeges was the latest mixed-use rehabilitation project that Connelly has completed downtown in recent years.

Nearly all the condos and lofts in the two most recent rehabbed buildings -- the United Center, a turn-of-the-century six-story warehouse at 302 Jones St., and the 4th & Jackson, a 1970s-era, six-story office building at 700 Fourth St. -- have been sold or leased and remain full.

With a growing number of prospective homebuyers, from young professionals to empty nesters, opting for downtown living, developers are moving to fix up additional spaces in the central business district.

"I think there's definitely more demand," said United Commercial President Chris Bogenrief, who helped market the Connelly projects. "It's just finding the right properties with the right parking and being able to get them cheap enough to make it work."

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Sioux City historic buildings get new life as housing