The first dirt was moved May 18 for a multi-family housing project north of the Union Pacific railroad tracks and west of N. Elm St in Jefferson.
The project was first proposed by KCG Properties of Indianapolis during the summer of 2023. Despite heated opposition to the project for a variety of reasons, the city’s planning commission approved rezoning the property from industrial to residential use in January 2024.
The project was delayed when a group of residents and non-residents who own rental property in Jefferson filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the development would create nuisance conditions and incompatible land uses. The lawsuit was dismissed, the petitioners appealed the decision to the Iowa Court of Appeals, and that court affirmed the district court’s decision in November 2025. A formal groundbreaking event will be held in June, city administrator Scott Peterson said. The project will be completed in the summer of 2027.
