Is Iowa to blame for this town's 'desperately needed' $9 million housing project sitting unfinished

CHARLES CITY, Ia. — With its imposing clock tower and weather vane perched over a stately white facade, the three-story McQuillen Place stands poised to become a centerpiece of this small city's Main Street.

Inside, its newly constructed apartments showcase scenic views of the downtown strip, nearby Victorian homes and the wider Cedar River Valley.

The mixed retail and residential development would be the envy of many small Iowa towns. But for more than 15 months, the 45,000-square-foot complex on 123 N. Main St. has sat empty, its construction halted agonizingly short of completion.

Lead developer and Charles City native Charles Thomson blames one entity for bringing the project to a screeching halt: The state of Iowa.

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2019/02/06/developer-blames-iowa-pulling-funding-halting-town-housing-project/2524407002/