Iowa Mutual Lofts ready to be ‘perfect place to call home’ 

DEWITT, Iowa – After years of planning, renovation work and a few delays, a former insurance office building in this community has been transformed into a 53-unit apartment building. The Iowa Mutual Lofts  – located in the two-building, three-story facility at 509 Ninth St. that had housed the former Iowa Mutual Insurance building  – is ready for tenants.    There will be a public grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new lofts from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21.  Along with tours, the open house will include light refreshments. “Historic restoration projects present unique challenges, but they’re one of our key areas of expertise, so we thrive on them,” A.J. Loss, president and CEO of Bush Construction, the contractor and an investor for the Iowa Mutual building project, told the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal. “We’re proud to share that the south building was completed three months ahead of schedule, allowing us to welcome tenants earlier than anticipated. The north building was completed on schedule, and leasing efforts in that building are now underway.” DeWitt Mayor Steve Hasenmiller adds: "The Iowa Mutual Lofts are a great addition to our downtown. The building is located within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, and our city park, which features almost weekly events throughout the year. I feel it will increase the foot traffic in our downtown, benefiting our many wonderful and varied businesses that are located near the Iowa Mutual Lofts." Some of the building’s features include:

• 53 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments.
• Washer and dryer in every unit.
• Elevator access and secure entry doors.
• Pet-friendly building.
• Fitness room, movie room, and club room for resident use.
• Storage lockers available for an additional fee.
• Enclosed, heated parking and covered parking options.

More information on the lofts and renting an apartment can be found here. Blueprints of the apartments can be found here. The new apartments “celebrate the rich history of DeWitt while providing all the comforts of contemporary living. Featuring original architectural details alongside updated interiors, Iowa Mutual Lofts creates a one-of-a-kind living experience. … it’s the perfect place to call home,” according to the Iowa Mutual Lofts website. “We’re excited to see the positive impact this development will bring to downtown DeWitt,” Mr. Loss said. The $15 million renovation of the former Iowa Mutual Insurance building has been in the works for years. Leaders in DeWitt had hoped renovation work would begin in 2022, but it was delayed. Most of those delays centered around actions of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the renovation project awaited HUD financing. But last year, the project finally started moving forward. There was a “wall smashing” ceremony held in the old building on Feb. 16, 2024, to usher in the start of renovations. Instead of a traditional ground-breaking event, local business and community leaders were invited to a different kind of ceremony last year. A sledgehammer was provided so the project’s stakeholders could put holes in an interior purple wall that was to be demolished to make room for apartments. The two-building Iowa Mutual Insurance complex was built in several stages between 1924 and 1974. The iconic L-shape design connects the two buildings, which span about 63,000 square feet of total space.  At its employment peak, Iowa Mutual had about 300 people working in the building.  About 35 employees still were working in the building at the time of its closure. The building has been vacant since 2019 after Iowa Mutual merged with Encova.