LAKE CITY — Survey nearly any rural Iowa community about residents’ needs, and affordable, quality housing almost always rises to the top.

In Lake City, local chiropractor and entrepreneur Jeff Redenius is providing innovative options, from independent living apartments to extended-stay suites.

“I want to help more people stay in Lake City instead of having to go to another community,” said Redenius, 34, who owns Redenius Chiropractic, PLC, and Lake City 24 Hour Fitness in downtown Lake City.

He’s currently building a retirement duplex that will be ready by the spring of 2025.

Located on the south side of Lake City, about three blocks south of Main Street and a couple blocks west of Landus Cooperative, each independent living apartment will feature zero-entry access, heated floors with zone heating, two bedrooms, a one-car attached garage and a small storage area in the garage. Each apartment will be nearly 1,000 square feet.

Redenius is considering the name “Timberline Estates” for the duplex development. A line of trees to the south of the property hints at where the Chicago and North Western railroad used to run through Lake City. In years past, this area used to be the site of a lumberyard.

“My Grandpa Dusty Redenius worked there,” said Redenius, noting that his late grandfather worked for the Joyce Lumber Company, Wisconsin Lumber Company, Fullerton Lumber and Lake City Lumber during his long career.

Redenius’ father, Gary, a long-time building contractor in Lake City, purchased the former lumberyard property in the mid-2000s. “I spent years mowing that property, which had been divided into lots,” Redenius said. “I kept thinking about ways we could look at new opportunities here.”

Redenius has received a number of inquiries about the duplex project and is already preparing to build more efficiency duplexes at this site, for a total of eight units. People who rent a unit will have many expenses (utilities, internet, lawn and snow removal) included in the monthly price.

“I like to take something that looks like nothing and transform it into something useful,” he said. “My plan is to build a new duplex every couple of years.”

Baptist Church evolves into extended-stay suites

Creating new opportunities has been Redenius’ trademark since he moved back to his hometown of Lake City eight years ago.

The 2008 Southern Cal High School graduate earned his bachelor of science degree in athletic training from Central College in Pella in 2012. During school breaks, he often helped his father with various building projects in the Lake City area.

Right before Redenius was set to attend the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, he began having second thoughts about his future. “I almost didn’t go to chiropractic school because I found so much joy in the building projects I did with my dad,” Redenius said. “He said, ‘Just because you’re a chiropractor doesn’t mean you can’t continue to build things,’ so I just held true to that statement.”

After completing his education at the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Redenius and his wife, Jenny, a public-school teacher and professor at Iowa Central, moved to Lake City in 2016.

They opened Lake City 24 Hour Fitness in the former Ben Franklin dime-store building that summer. By August 2016, Redenius opened his chiropractic clinic next to the fitness center along Main Street.

While both of those businesses have thrived, Redenius continued to look for more opportunities in the local area. He purchased an apartment complex in Lake City and bought the former First Baptist Church (located two blocks south of the downtown business district) in 2018. He invested countless hours and plenty of sweat equity (along with new white steel siding and a new roof) as he renovated the historic church, which was built in 1890.

While Redenius initially created apartments in the church sanctuary and 1960s-era education wing, he later adapted the entire property into four spacious, extended-stay units known as Sanctuary Suites. Each short-term, fully-furnished rental unit includes a full kitchen, washer/dryer and internet service. Renters range from wind turbine crews to interns at Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Lake City.

It’s quite a transformation for a church whose congregation had dwindled and eventually merged with the Woodlawn Christian Church in Lake City in 2017. “I love old buildings and try to preserve them when I can,” Redenius said. “The mortar joints on this church’s original rock foundation are perfect, so it was worth saving this building.”

Taking the long view

As Redenius looks to the future, he not only continues to build efficient new duplexes in Lake City, but he’s offering a turnkey solution to help others do the same. He created The Building Boys website (thebuildingboys.com) to help educate people about the building process and sell the floor plans online.

The website includes a series of YouTube videos featuring Redenius and his father. “My dad has more than 40 years of construction experience,” said Redenius, who began helping with various projects when he was still in grade school. “We have a series of ‘master carpenter’ videos that explain dirt work and foundations to sidewalls and more.”

The floor plan package, which includes digital and hardcopy schematics, includes foundation plans, floor plans, 3D renderings, a building material list, as well as guidance on electrical materials, HVAC/plumbing materials, and kitchen/vanity schematics. Redenius hopes resources like this will help other entrepreneurs revitalize their rural communities.

“I’m looking long-term. I want these solutions to benefit the community now and for years to come.”