“Old Community Building” gets a facelift

Posted 7/26/22

Work is now complete on the exterior restoration of the 1913 Old Community Building, located at 81 East First Street, Riverside.

The original, established in 1913 now is home to Joan’s …

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“Old Community Building” gets a facelift

Posted

Work is now complete on the exterior restoration of the 1913 Old Community Building, located at 81 East First Street, Riverside.

The original, established in 1913 now is home to Joan’s Gifts, Boutique and Denims, a coffee house, Trails End lounge, The Aspen Room, and Colleen’s Courtyard.

John and Joan Sojka were spurred to purchased and preserve the downtown landmark building. Coupled with supplemental grant funds from the City of Riverside, completion of tuckpointing the face of the building, culminated two years of work that included new store front windows, seal coating the roof, cement pad patio in Colleen’s Courtyard and total tuckpointing of facade and rear of building.

The aforementioned improvements are testimony of the possibilities for revitalization of all the historic buildings that line Main Street Riverside. The City of Riverside, through supplemental grant funds, is making it feasible for other building owners to pay serious attention to the upside potential for improving their buildings. More importantly, it is a conduit to help activate Main Street with more businesses, shoppers and diners, alike.

John and Joan Sojka want to thank the city for providing supplemental grant funds that helped complete their project. Presently, the program has been suspended, but hopefully will be reinstated. Also, a sincere thank you to the following contractors: English River Concrete (Brendan Serum), Yoder Masonry (Pat Yoder), Bruce Miller Masonry, Sorrell Glass and Iowa Roof Coatings.