Want A Pedestrian Mall Brick? Iowa City Wants To Know

IOWA CITY, IA — Improvements to the downtown pedestrian mall will begin in the spring and thousands of clay bricks will be removed. Now, Iowa City officials want to know if there is interest in saving the old bricks from the landfill.

The city is surveying residents and businesses to determine the level of interest for purchasing and reusing the pedestrian mall brick, whether as a special, limited edition commemorative brick (engraved or with a plaque or display stand) or in bulk for business and home projects. You can complete a survey here.

As part of the pedestrian mall renovation, a new concrete base will be poured and more resilient bricks will be added to help prevent the walkway from "heaving and shifting," city officials said. The process will include removing the thousands of clay bricks laid in the 1970's as part of the original City Plaza project.

To keep the bricks from going to the landfill, city officials anticipate making them available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis after renovation work begins.

To stay connected to the pedestrian mall improvements project, sign up for email notices or get project news online. For additional brick availability information, contact Senior Civil Engineer Scott Sovers at scott-sovers@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5142.

Image via City of Iowa City