CEDAR RAPIDS — Two downtown businesses will close as a Cedar Rapids realty company plans to build a new office.

The owners of Albert Auto Service and Sub City in the 400 block of First Avenue SE both told The Gazette the downtown locations will close after Skogman Realty bought out the remainder of their leases.

Shawna Lane, the owner of Sub City, said the sandwich shop at 421 First Ave. SE will close Friday. Lane said she does not plan to relocate the shop.

Chad Albert, owner of Albert Auto Service, said his downtown location at 427 First Ave. SE needs to be out of the building by March 1. A sign inside the downtown location said it will close Feb. 16.

Albert’s three other locations are not affected and will remain open. Albert said he recently remodeled the shop at 3645 J St. SW to accommodate increased traffic that may come once the downtown location closes.

Skogman owns the buildings that house the Albert Auto Service and Sub City. It also owns the adjacent Bever Building.

The real estate company has preliminary plans to construct a new office where those three buildings now stand. The new office would require the three buildings to be torn down.

Skogman Realty President Chris Skogman told The Gazette the company still is working out details for the office and nothing is final. Skogman’s current concept is to construct a three-story building that is about 40,000 square feet.

He said the company wants to maintain its downtown presence.

“Our interest in this town, and every town we do business in, runs much deeper than just the services we provide. Maintaining our downtown presence allows us to stay close to a lot of the organizations and causes that mean so much to us,” Skogman said in an email.

In October, the Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded Skogman Construction $750,000 in redevelopment tax credits for the project.

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; matthew.patane@thegazette.com