A two-year reconstruction of a 5,600-square-foot courtyard in the heart of the East Village has finally reached completion.
Those walking past Soho Lofts, a residential and retail building with a distinctive, steeple-like roof at the corner of E Fourth and E Locust streets will see a breezeway tucked between AllSpice and Salon W with a black gate that leads to a courtyard. Carved into the building’s center, it is surrounded by condominium units and ground-level commercial spaces.
The construction tape, orange cones and heavy machinery that occupied the space since 2024 have been replaced by Adirondack seating and art displays. Soho Lofts officially reopened the patio with a ribbon cutting and live music Wednesday, June 24.
What started as plans to make cosmetic upgrades turned into a full-blown infrastructure redesign, said Jim Bowman, president of Soho’s homeowners association and project manager.
Soho’s courtyard sits below ground level and “water doesn’t go uphill,” Bowman said. Before the reconstruction, heavy rain would leave pooled water in the courtyard.
A previous project to redo the 21-year-old building’s facade only updated the exterior, Bowman said. As for the interior walls that line the courtyard, the aged stormwater drainage infrastructure was rotting, he said, and water was seeping “in volumes” into the courtyard and the building’s underground parking garage.
What does the newly renovated Soho Lofts courtyard look like?
Before the reconstruction, Soho’s courtyard was mostly mulch and grass with landscaping lining the perimeter. All of that was removed to make room for the new stormwater infrastructure.
The entire area was repaved and the grass was replaced with artificial turf. A new gas fire pit with lounge seating was added and color-changing lights were installed. Throughout the courtyard are custom-made, blown-glass art displays designed by Davenport artist Joel Ryser.
The owner of Sticks, a handmade art and furniture store that occupies the E Fourth Street side of Soho, is painting a mural for the breezeway, Bowman said.
“Some of the other apartments and condos have pools and fitness centers,” Bowman said. “We used art as the amenity in this great outdoor gathering area.”
Redoing the courtyard offers an outdoor space in an urban setting for residents to build community, he said, and could attract future homeowners to Soho Lofts.
“It also is helping to demostrate the value of the overall property that we made a conscious decision to invest to make the upgrades that any future owners and buyers would appreciate having that kind of special outdoor amenity,” he said.
Kate Kealey is the growth and development reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on X at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: East Village courtyard transformed by 2-year renovation. See inside
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
