Hotel Roosevelt

Now an apartment building, the former Hotel Roosevelt remains a significant landmark in downtown Cedar Rapids. It was built in 1927 and for many years was the city's most prestigious hotel. A fine example of Georgian Revival architecture, it was built of brick and features decorative elements including medallions and terra cotta panels. It also still retains its original terrazzo flooring in the lobby. The Hotel Roosevelt was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Edith McCormick Rockefeller, the daughter of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, financed the construction of Hotel Roosevelt. The Chicago-based architecture firm Krenn & Dato designed it (they designed many other buildings in the Midwest). The Hotel Roosevelt was one of numerous modern hotels built in small and medium-sized cities around the country between 1900 and 1930. During this period, these hotels symbolized economic stability and growth and communities expected they would help generate further prosperity. These hotels offered a number of specialized services, which are now standard, including private bathrooms, full-length mirrors, fire doors, ice water, and free newspapers. They also became community gathering places as many had ballrooms where various events could take place.

It appears Hotel Roosevelt closed for a time before being reopening in the 1970s with rental apartments and hotel guest rooms. Another round of renovations occurred in the 1990s. In 2008, the hotel was being renovated again when the city was flooded. This increased the renovation cost by about $10 million. It reopened in 2010 as the The Roosevelt Lofts but is now known as the The Roosevelt Apartments.

Hadish, Cindy. "The Roosevelt Celebrates Re-Opening in Downtown Cedar Rapids." KCRG TV. Retrieved from the Web Archive on December 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20101009171657/http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/The-Roosevelt-Celebrates-Re-Opening-in-Downtown-Cedar-Rapids-104431039.html.

Kummer, Karen L. "Hotel Roosevelt." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. May 1, 1991. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/ce1191dd-8fc2-4d94-8763-0ddb48122b8a.

"The Roosevelt." Sherman Associates. Accessed December 29, 2021. https://www.sherman-associates.com/properties/the-roosevelt.

"The Roosevelt is renovated, back in downtown Cedar Rapids." The Gazette. Retrieved from Archive.Today on December 29, 2021. https://archive.ph/20130204105023/http://thegazette.com/2010/09/21/the-roosevelt-is-renovated-back-in-downtown-cedar-rapids.