Demolition of the former Hilltop Motel in the Surf District was added to the City’s Consolidated Urban Renewal Plan Monday night.
The amendment to the plan was necessitated by the Surf Visioning Plan and Destination Iowa Projects Grant application. By amending the plan, the City maximizes its ability to capture available tax-increment financing revenue for its Fiscal Year 2024 municipal budget by certifying additional debt to the County Auditor prior to Dec. 1.
The new items added to the plan include: professional services agreements related to planning services, engineering services, legal
services, financial services and other administrative costs; as well as reimbursement to the developer for costs associated with the demolition of the 21-room Hilltop Motel, including asbestos abatement and site preparation.
The total value of projects and initiatives equal $390,000.
Demolition of the hotel is anticipated after December 2022. Following demolition and site work, the property will be used on an interim basis as additional off-street parking for the district.
Early structures on the site of the Hilltop Motel included The Prospect House and The Oaks Hotel, which was built in 1893 and was destroyed by fire in July of 1922.
Before the structure is demolished, the Snyder family wants the public to have the opportunity to buy a piece of history and has called on the local auction company, I-35 Auctions, to handle the process. Jon Tofte, owner of I-35 Auctions, encourages the public to access videos highlighting the guest rooms at YouTube.com/@i35auctions. Bidding is active now at k-bid.com/auction/45913. Bidding begins closing at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20.
Anyone who wishes to view the premises can do so at a preview on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to a walk down memory lane, it’s an opportunity to view auction items that are available in the guest rooms. Registration at kbid.com is necessary if you are interested in bidding on items.
“Anything and everything, from room decor down to the furnace and water heater are available for bidding,” Tofte explained. “All the themed rooms will be accessible to the public during the preview. In this case, if you can get it out of there, you can bid on it.”
For questions about the auction, Tofte encourages people to call I-35 Auctions at 641-357-5417.
