This week's CBJ: Car wash solves Eco Lips' parking dilemma
1199 44th St., Marion
A harsh winter was hard on lips, forcing the Marion-based lip balm manufacturer Eco Lips to make an unexpected real estate move.
Eco Lips acquired the self-service car wash and self-storage business across the street from its manufacturing headquarters at 1199 44th St., Marion, almost entirely to find a place for its expanding staff to park.
"When we moved to Marion [in 2018 from Cedar Rapids] we had just under 40 people, and I think we peaked at 95 within about six months," Eco Lips President Steve Shriver said.
He said the company has added some good distribution for its natural and organic lip balm products, including the launch of a hemp oil-based lip balm into Walmart stores, but the frigid temperatures across the country this winter have been the big driver of demand.
Cold temperatures require heating systems to run longer and dry out the indoor air, Mr. Shriver said, leading to chapped lips. Eco Lips usually sees lip balm demand taper off by the end of February, but this year it's remained strong into March, and the company even had some pre-orders for April.
So many employees were needed so fast that they overflowed the Eco Lips parking lot and filled up all the available on-street parking in the area, generating some friction with the company's new neighbors. After scouting the area for land it could buy or lease, including one deal that fell through, Mr. Shriver said he approached Mike Hubbell, the owner of the 4 Seasons Car & Truck Wash across the street. Although the business was not for sale, Mr. Hubbell was willing to make a deal.
About 25 employee cars now park around the perimeter of the car and truck wash during the work day, and the 1.3-acre property may provide additional spaces once it is repaved and repainted later this year.
Although owning a car wash was never in the business plan, "We've got a parking lot that creates revenue for us," Mr. Shriver said. He said the land purchase also included 48 storage garages, which are 98 percent occupied. Eco Lips may eventually need the property, purchased for about $565,000 with the car wash equipment, for expansion of its manufacturing facility, Mr. Shriver said, but for the present, the company has the staff and infrastructure to operate the business successfully.
Although mobile home park sales often go unnoticed, last month's sale of Golfview Mobile Homes at 1 Golfview Court in North Liberty to a Utah company is making headlines.
Nathan Ricks-led MH Golfview paid $12.3 million last month to acquire the property from Iowa-based Golfview Investors LLC.
The property is a 48.6-acre mobile home park built in 1996. The Press-Citizen reports that MH Golfview is an LLC created by
Havenpark Capital. The Orem, Utah, company almost immediately notified residents it planned to
raise lot rents 58 percent, leading to an outcry from residents who include many low- and fixed-income families and individuals.
Havenpark Capital's website said the company
offers "the qualified investor access to a geographically diversified portfolio of properties through private fund offerings." It currently has a portfolio of 25 mobile home parks totaling 5,000 home sites.
Corridor residents can expect to hear more about Havenpark Capital. A subsequent report said the company previously acquired a park in Waukee and plans to acquire two additional mobile home parks in the Corridor from Hames Homes. They are the 133-home-site Sunrise Village mobile home park in Iowa City and the 181-home-site West Branch Mobile Home Village in West Branch.
The outlet quoted scathing reviews of Haverpark Capital mobile home parks from the Better Business Bureau, but also reinforced the remarks of Barbara Hames, of Hames Homes, who said that the buyer plans to invest in needed improvements and that lot rents at area mobile home parks had become unrealistically low, due partly to the decreased availability of mobile home financing. The rise and dominance of Berkshire Hathaway-owned
21st
Mortgage and Clayton Homes has also "tipped" many mobile home dealers out of the business, the site said, producing a cascading effect on mobile home park operators.
Demolition work at 4015 Mount Vernon Road SE, Cedar Rapids, as part of new entrance to Hy-Vee and Mercy Care Vernon Village
Work has begun on a project to revamp access to Hy-Vee's Store No. 6 at 4035 Mount Vernon Road SE in Cedar Rapids, as part of a major street improvement to reduce accidents resulting from turning movements in and out of the busy store.
Due to the high number of traffic accidents at the existing access point, the city of Cedar Rapids applied for and received $500,000 in Traffic Safety Improvement Program (TSIP) funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation for the installation of a new traffic signal at 40th Street SE. That will become the new main entrance to Hy-Vee and Mercy Care Vernon Village.
Plans also include sidewalk replacement and extension, ramps, asphalt replacement, and the replacement of water and sewer mains, according to a presentation to the city council last month.
Hy-Vee recently demolished a professional building it acquired several years ago at 4015 Mount Vernon Road SE as part of a project that includes not only the new access, but building a new Hy-Vee convenience store and car wash. Company spokeswoman Christina Gayman said the demolition work is for the access project only at this time.
"There is not construction scheduled on the convenience store at this time," Ms. Gayman said. "There will be a convenience store, but there is no time line."
With more adult children moving back in or never leaving home, Generation X homebuyers are overtaking baby boomers as the generation most likely to buy multigenerational homes, according to a new study from the National Association of Realtors.
"The high cost of rent and lack of affordable housing inventory is sending adult children back to their parents' homes, either out of necessity or an attempt to save money," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a release. "While these multi-generational homes may not be what a majority of Americans expect out of homeownership, this method allows younger potential buyers the opportunity to gain their financial footing and transition into homeownership. In fact, younger millennials are the most likely to move directly out of their parents' homes into homeownership, circumventing renting altogether."
Millennials as a whole accounted for 37 percent of all buyers, the report said, making them the most active generation of buyers for the sixth consecutive year.
The report for the first time this year separated younger and older millennials. They now account for 11 and 26 percent of buyers, respectively. The separation was deemed necessary as younger millennials now account for a larger buying share than the silent generation (7 percent). Gen X buyers were the second largest group of buyers (24 percent), followed by younger boomers (18 percent) and older boomers (14 percent).
To see the full report from the National Association of Realtors, click here.
Iowa home sales and the median sales price increased in February, according to the latest housing trends survey by the Iowa Association of Realtors.
The median sales price of all residential properties was $152,950, 2 percent higher than in February 2018. The number of homes sold increased 3.4 percent, from 2,031 homes in February 2018 to 2,101 this year.
The average days on market for homes sold in February declined to 73 days, compared to 89 days last year. Meanwhile, the inventory of homes sold in February rose 0.4 percent.
New listings decreased 11.7 percent for single-family detached homes and 16.8 percent for townhouse-condo homes. Pending sales decreased 8 percent for single-family detached homes and 15.7 percent for townhouse-condos.
Inventory increased 0.8 percent for single-family detached homes, but decreased 2.9 percent for townhouse-condos
To see the full February sales report, click
here.
From around the web
Realtor.com reports on why the Federal Housing Administration, which insures mortgages for first-time homebuyers, is tightening its standards.
The Chicago Tribune breaks down the far-reaching antitrust lawsuit filed against the National Association Realtors and the four largest realty companies, alleging a conspiracy to systematically overcharge home sellers.
The Keller-Williams blog reviews what homeowners filing their federal taxes need to know about tax law changes.
Hottest deal in the Corridor
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Women of Influence, by the Corridor Business Journal, 5-8 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, 350 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. The 15th-annual Women of Influence awards identify and honor women who have made a difference as role models and leaders in their fields and community. Tickets: $55, or $550 for a table of 10. For more information, visit
corridorbusiness.com/events.
Shaking the Money Tree, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, 6-7:30 p.m., Cedar Rapids Ladd Library, 3750 Williams Blvd. SW. This workshop will explore funding sources and how business owners should prepare themselves to take advantage of funding opportunities. Free. To register, visit
conta.cc/2TjNCdM.
April 8
Monthly Meeting, by Iowa Inventors Group, 6:30 p.m., Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, 115 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Jared Adam will present on the formation of limited liability entities. Free. For more information, visit
iowainventorsgroup.org.
April 9
TechBrew, by Technology Association of Iowa, 8-9 a.m., Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE. Brian Waller, TAI president, conducts casual interviews with CIOs who share their favorite music, discuss their career path and share what's most important for the Iowa technology community. Free. To register, visit
technologyiowa.org/events.
Building Your Human Firewall, by Kirkwood Corporate Training and ProCircular, 8:30-10:30 a.m., The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. This training program will help employees understand their unique and critical role in security. End users will learn techniques on how to quickly identify and respond (or not respond) to the latest cyberthreats. Cost: $39. For more information, visit
bit.ly/kctcyberescape or call (319) 398-1022.
Marketing Forum, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE. This forum is designed to foster the growth and development of marketing professionals. Participants will receive advice and tips, learn from others and grow their professional network. This month's topic is websites and search engine optimization. Free. To register, visit
www.cedarrapids.org.
Business Lunch Roundtable, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, noon-1 p.m., Granite City Food & Brewery, 4755 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. A business topic will be discussed along with networking opportunities. For more information, visit
scorecr.org.
Membership 101, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE. Find out how to best utilize your membership and meet other new members. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2EQrbIa.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
Cedar Rapids police have identified the
person killed in a condominium fire on Tuesday. Firefighters were called to the Arrowridge Condominiums located at 5145 Johnson Ave. SW at 3:03 p.m. When they arrived, they did not see any flames. Upon entering the building, firefighters encountered thick smoke and found 61-year-old Toni Cooley inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Fire investigators believe the fire started near a couch as a result of carelessly discarded smoking materials. Fire damage was contained to Ms. Cooley's unit, but there was smoke damage throughout the rest of the building.
Linn County's Public Health building is becoming a brand new facility catering to community members with mental health issues and helping the community get access to services they need quicker and more efficiently. "We really started to put the foot down on the accelerator when we knew we had the money and the space," Ben Rogers, Linn County supervisor said. "If you are going to divert someone, where would you divert them to? The access center is that place." Public health staff will move into their new facility once it's finished sometime this year. Linn County will be one of the few places in the state offering an access center with low-barrier access to many services like suicide prevention, detox and therapy all under one roof. The goal is to divert people in crisis from local hospitals and jails to help law enforcement and doctors deal with specific issues that don't necessarily belong in their facilities. "I sometimes get asked why can't there be a regional center? Your number one customers are going to be law enforcement and they have to have a facility that's easy to get to," Mr. Rogers said. "We are the second largest community in the state - having a mental health access center makes a lot of sense for here but also the surrounding counties where it can really divert people from regional hospitals and jails."
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast
There will be multiple rounds of rain over the next seven days. Temperatures will be below normal through Thursday, then well-above normal over the weekend. A cold front will move through the area this morning and stall out over the state. This boundary will be the focus for rainfall today and tomorrow. Rain will move in after 4 p.m. from west to east. The heaviest rain will likely fall north of I-80. Most of the area will pick up around 0.25 inches, with the possibility of up to an inch through Thursday. If there's over an inch of rain, that could lead to localized flooding and rises on rivers. Along the Mississippi River, the crest is likely late this week into the weekend, and this rain could alter the crest height by a foot with runoff. Stay tuned for updated river flood forecasts.
