Brent Bovy, third from left, cuts the ribbon on his new venture, Reinbeck Apartments, in downtown Reinbeck on Saturday, April 12, alongside his wife and business partner Val Bovy (fifth from left) and eldest son Logan (fourth from left). Also in attendance, members of the Reinbeck Community Development Board which Bovy chairs. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – If there is one thing rural Iowa needs more of, it’s places to call home. And now, thanks to the efforts of local business owners Brent and Val Bovy along with UNI professor/entrepreneur Andy Anderson and Panther Builders owner Brent Dahlstrom, downtown Reinbeck recently added 10 new apartments – aptly called Reinbeck Apartments – through the revitalization of the former Northwest Mutual Life building.

The venture was made possible using a $600,000 Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Downtown Housing Grant, part of a total $20 million investment made by the State of Iowa back in 2022 toward downtown revitalization in communities with populations of 30,000 or less.

“I’m on the (Reinbeck) Community Development Board, and we talk about it all the time – [housing] is always a need. We need more housing in rural Iowa,” Brent Bovy, board chairman and co-owner of Reinbeck Pharmacy, said last Saturday morning as he stood inside a second-floor apartment overlooking Main Street shortly after a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the new business.

Reinbeck Apartments occupies both floors of the 1910 brick building located at 402 Main Street. While the 4,708 square-foot, two-story building was once home to Northwest Mutual – before that, a pizza establishment – in more recent years it had been left vacant and was in a state of progressive decay.

“It was an eyesore,” Bovy said of the building located directly across the street from his pharmacy. “I’m sitting across the street thinking, we can’t let the building rot.”

Reinbeck Apartments located at 402 Main Street pictured on Saturday, April 12. The 1910 building, which had been vacant, was purchased and extensively remodeled recently by local business owners Brent and Val Bovy along with UNI professor/entrepreneur Andy Anderson and Panther Builders owner Brent Dahlstrom. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Along with his partners, Bovy and his wife began the process of acquiring the building in 2021, taking ownership in 2023 and beginning extensive renovations in the summer of 2023.

Today, the building’s exterior looks quite different from its days as an insurance hub. While the classic brick remains, the upper floor windows have been expanded back into their former openings and the facade has been updated from grey and blue to a modern dark slate grey and black.

But it’s the interior that wows visitors.

During a tour of the building after the ribbon cutting on Saturday, members of the development board were in awe at the renovation work.

“Thank you for doing this for Main Street,” one board member commented. “This is a much nicer thing to look at.”

The upper story, corner unit at Reinbeck Apartments pictured on Saturday, April 12, in downtown Reinbeck. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

As of press time, Bovy said one of Reinbeck Apartments’ 10 housing units – three on the main floor and seven on the second – was already occupied; another five had signed leases, leaving four available. On the main floor, two-thirds of the commercial space – which will be ready this September – was leased out already; about 900 square feet remain up for grabs.

Those who have signed apartment leases mostly appear to be “new people coming to town,” Bovy said.

One issue Bovy and his partners have not quite solved yet concerning Reinbeck Apartments is parking space, and he admitted the matter has proven tricky to navigate.

“We’re still working on parking. We’re going to see what the need is once we get going. For now, [residents] can park on [Broad Street]. But it’s something we need to look at. I know the parking has been a sore subject, but the alternative was a lot worse. Not having enough parking for a small town isn’t a bad problem to have.”

For more information on Reinbeck Apartments, including pricing and floor plans, visit reinbeckapartments.com or call 319-768-7150.

The view from Broad Street of the back of Reinbeck Apartments located in downtown Reinbeck. Ten housing units plus commercial space now occupies the 1910, two-story brick building which was revitalized recently using, in part, a $600,000 IEDA Downtown Housing Grant. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER