Developer revives abandoned Newton building

The former Flooring Gallery building in Newton is undergoing renovations to become a climate-controlled storage facility later this spring. Stow Away Storage was created by primary investor and Ottumwa businessman Curt Hopkins, along with the City of Newton, to inject some life back into the drab building, located at 1810 First Ave E.

“The city council was so excited to work with Mr. Hopkins to renovate and reopen this building, which has really become a nuisance and an eyesore over the years,” Newton City Administrator Matt Muckler said.

To help lessen the initial setup costs, the city provided Hopkins with tax increment financing, which will not exceed $65,000 or last longer than 10 years. By providing the facility with tax rebates, the new business will pay more taxes than an abandoned building, encourage future development in the area and hopefully create a few local jobs, Muckler said.

When completed, the business will consist of 90 climate-controlled storage units, as well as a spec retail space at the front of the building. Hopkins said the spec space is currently a “vanilla box,” but once a prospective client shows interest his construction crew can build it out into any number of things.

“I was hoping that the space would be filled by the time we open in a few months, but unfortunately a possible tenant pulled out of negotiations a few days ago,” Hopkins said. “I haven’t talked to anyone else interested in the space yet, so it may remain empty for a bit.”

An exact date has not been given for the new facility’s grand opening, but Hopkins said construction is coming along and he hopes to welcome the public sometime in mid-May.

While this new facility has been Hopkins’ main project in Newton, it hasn’t been his sole investment. Around the same time he acquired the former Flooring Gallery last year, Hopkins also purchased the strip mall behind Scooter’s Coffee, which houses Goodwill, China King, El Sombrero and a handful of other small businesses.

Along with the renovations for upcoming storage facilities, Hopkins and his crew have been working to update the strip mall property, as well.

“Right now we’re just giving it a new coat of paint to help modernize it a bit,” Hopkins said. “It was looking a little rough when I bought it last year.”

Contact Abby Knipfel at 641-792-3121 ext. 6531 or aknipfel@shawmedia.com