Parking Not Advised

Rising flood waters on the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa had nearly reached the lowest ramp level at the First Street Parkade (right) when this photo was taken just after noon on Wednesday, June 11, 2008. The Third Avenue bridge, where this photo was taken from, was closed less than an hour later. The Second Avenue bridge and City Hall are seen in the immediate background. Floods devastated much of the downtown area including the parkade. In September, 2010, plans by the city to demolish the parkade (citing high repair costs and structural obsolescence) were put on hold as FEMA and the State Historical Society concluded the parkade was eligible for a listing on the National Register of Historical Places.