MASON CITY — A downtown Mason City site once marked by a major apartment-house fire is now being lined up for new life, with plans calling for apartments, retail or office space and parking near North Federal Avenue and 2nd Street Northwest.
The project, known as Kirk Multifamily, is planned for the northwest corner of North Federal Avenue and 2nd Street Northwest, on the site of the former Kirk Apartments (pictured at top, and bottom in June, 2026).
Steven J. Van Steenhuyse, Mason City’s director of development services, told NIT the city’s Development Review Committee is reviewing the major site plan for the project.
The plan calls for a three-story, 19-unit apartment building facing 2nd Street Northwest. North of that building, a two-story retail and office building is planned along North Federal Avenue.
A parking lot serving both buildings would be accessible from the alley.
“We are working through a few setback variances and when those are complete, the site plan can be approved,” Van Steenhuyse told NIT. “We expect construction to start later this summer or in the fall.”
The developer is DEV Partners of Des Moines, the same developer behind the Federal Avenue Townhomes and The Delaware Apartments in Mason City.
The cost of the Kirk project is not yet known because a building permit has not been submitted, Van Steenhuyse said.
The project has been approved for Workforce Housing Tax Credits from the State of Iowa. Those credits are designed to encourage housing construction in communities where workforce housing is needed.
Van Steenhuyse said the tax-credit program requires city participation in funding the project. Mason City’s contribution will be a 10-year, 100% abatement of city taxes.
He said that abatement program is available to any multi-family development in the downtown area.
The project follows other recent DEV Partners work in downtown Mason City. In October 2025, NIT reported on the ribbon cutting for the Delaware Avenue Apartments at Delaware Avenue and 2nd Street Southeast. City officials said at the time that the new apartments added quality housing options in the heart of downtown, supported the growing workforce and brought new energy to Mason City’s core.
Read NIT’s 2025 story on the Delaware Avenue Apartments ribbon cutting here.
The former Kirk Apartments site also carries recent local history. In April 2023, NIT reported that the Kirk Apartments on North Federal Avenue at 2nd Street burned in a major downtown fire. Streets and alleys around the structure were closed as firefighters battled the blaze, residents were evacuated, smoke could be seen from miles away and people affected by the fire were directed to community assistance through the Salvation Army and United Way of North Central Iowa.
Read NIT’s 2023 story on the Kirk Apartments fire here.
Now, the former apartment site is moving through the city review process for redevelopment.
The proposed project would add more housing downtown while also creating new commercial space along North Federal Avenue, Mason City’s traditional downtown corridor.
The development is part of a broader pattern of downtown housing and reinvestment in Mason City. In recent years, city leaders and developers have focused on adding residential units downtown to support local businesses, increase foot traffic and reuse underutilized or aging properties.
Downtown housing can be an important economic-development tool because it brings more people within walking distance of restaurants, shops, entertainment, offices and public spaces. Adding apartments can also help address housing demand for workers, young professionals, retirees and others who want to live near the center of the community.
The addition of a two-story retail and office building along North Federal Avenue could also help preserve an active street-facing commercial presence, rather than leaving the site used only for housing or parking.
The project still needs to complete the city review process, including setback variance issues now being worked through.
If those steps are completed, construction could begin later this summer or sometime in the fall.
