March 28, 2024

Newton Seed Store to be demolished

City purchased building, will market for redevelopment

Gary and Connie Grimes will be closing the doors of the Newton Seed Store after the Newton City Council approved a resolution to buy the property at Monday’s meeting.

Located at 224 N. Third Ave. W., the Grimes have owned the business since 1978. The store has been at the location since 1944.

“With the projects they have going on they thought it would be beneficial to recruit some other type of business or projects in the area,” Gary Grimes said.

The building, which is adjoined to a city-owned structure that was the Water Works garage, has received water damage, which is caused by the Water Works’ building lack of roofing.

“It was easier for the city to make a decision, instead of putting money into the building,” Gary Grimes said.

The city purchased the building for $135,000, which was the Grimes’ asking price. The money will come from the North Central Tax Increment Finance District fund.

“We’d have liked to put more money into keeping the building up in condition, but you have to have that type of income. We haven’t done a lot because we have been in that redevelopment area for 25 years,” Grimes said. “We had opportunities to move the building, property to other buyers but it wasn’t something they wanted in the area. That has kind of been the big hang up, really.”

Also located within the building is the Frank T. Campbell House. The house, which was built in 1866, was said to be one of the finest homes erected in Newton during the Civil War times, according to Jasper County records. It stood in the center of a large lawn surrounded by an ornate iron fence.

After many years and several owners, commercial buildings were built on both sides of the of the house. In 1946, George Terpstra, the owner at the time, built an addition totally enclosing the front of the house, which is how it sits today.

After the city demolishes the seed store and the adjoining Water Works building, they plan to immediately market the whole half block for new development. As a part of the North Central Urban Renewal Area, the property will be directly south of the Miller-Valentine Residential Development, which is currently under construction.

Contact Staff Writer Jamee A. Pierson at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com.