Viking Plaza development expands shopping options

CEDAR FALLS | By Labor Day, Viking Plaza shoppers can expect four new retail options. By Thanksgiving, they will have another two. And more are on their way.

But as commercial development booms around the East Viking Road area, so does concern about whether or not surrounding roadways are prepared to support it.

Intersection improvements are not budgeted to begin until 2017, but plaza developers say they are getting close to completing a strip mall with over 58,000 square feet of retail space. That's at the same time they are gearing up to break ground for five more storefronts in a separate building near Culver's.

"We'll be turning over space in July and August," John Silverman, managing principal for the Cincinnati-based developer, Midland Atlantic, said.

And just north of that will be Cedar Falls' third McDonald's location -- the first to open since 1984. Scott Soifer, who owns 11 locations, including the recently renovated downtown Cedar Falls location, is the franchisee.

Construction crews broke ground last week. Thefast-food joint, located at 326 Brandilynn Blvd., is expected toopen in September, with hiring and training of 75 part-time andfull-time employees, as well as 10 managers, beginning in June.

These additions come on top of increasingly hindered traffic flow on Iowa Highway 58, which is part of the Avenue of the Saints, due to the growing number of drivers turning onto and off of Viking Road.

Ron Gaines, director of developmental services, said he is concerned about mixing a growing amount of local traffic with the ongoing stream of vehicles that are passing through the area.

This has gotten the attention of the Iowa Department of Transportation, which keeps track of intersections it sees as dangerous -- based on traffic volume and accident frequency and severity. The department ranks those intersections and, in recent years, the Viking-Highway 58 intersection has jumped in the rankings, from No. 4 on the departments priority list as needing improvement from 16th only four years ago.

"Once you get that cluster of retail development with big-box stores, then smaller stores follow, said Bob Seymour, Cedar Falls community services manager.

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Viking Plaza development expands shopping options