Commonwealth Apartments

Pros

• Colleen is amazing.
• She cares about the people and has improved the property in the last 4 years.
• Colleen is 10/10 as a property manager and takes excellent care of this community.
• Colleen is the PM you want looking after your elders.
• Colleen has gone above and beyond to be helpful with every step of showing the apartment, the lease, utilities and move in.
• She truly cares about the tenants' safety and happiness.
• There are lots of activities, a food bank, clothes drop, coffee and sweets, bingo, potluck, and similar events to bring together the tenants.
• The building has security locks on every door, elevators, on-site laundry, and vending.
• Beautiful entryway and the landscape is gorgeous.
• Very friendly staff.
• The apartments are very nice.
• The tenants are very lovely and lively in the summer.

Cons

• Windows in all units and common areas are sealed shut, a condition described as potentially non-compliant with building codes and unsafe.
• The property is described as stinking horribly with filth everywhere, needing thorough cleaning and carpet removal.
• The building is likened to a mini homeless shelter with no heat in bedrooms, with a suggestion that the city should condemn the place.
• There is no ventilation and high humidity, making conditions hazardous for tenants with breathing problems.
• The place is reported to be infested with bedbugs, and staff are described as not keeping it clean.

Review

The community surrounding this senior living building has clearly undergone a transformation over the past few years. Several reviewers paint a picture of a property that has shed a rough exterior and begun to bloom with care and attention. The grounds now feature beautiful flowers, and the overall appearance of the building has become something residents and visitors can be proud of. There's a sense in the comments that, after a period of neglect, the property has started to look and feel cared for, inviting people to enjoy the outdoors and the impression of a well-kept space.

Central to the positive changes many residents notice is Colleen, the on-site property manager. Across multiple reviews, Colleen is repeatedly described as amazing, professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring. Over the last four years, tenants feel she has gone above and beyond to improve the property and the resident experience. She is credited with guiding prospective tenants through the leasing process, coordinating utilities, and assisting with move-in steps, always with an emphasis on safety and happiness. Beyond paperwork and logistics, Colleen fosters a sense of community through a steady stream of activities and services. There are food banks, clothes drops, coffee and sweets, bingo, potlucks, and other events designed to bring tenants together. Security features - locks on every door, elevators, on-site laundry, and vending - are highlighted as part of a secure and convenient living environment. In short, Colleen's leadership appears to be a defining feature of the property's appeal, with one reviewer noting that their uncle "absolutely loves it here."

There are also notes about a renewed sense of vitality in the building's culture. One review proudly mentions the renewal of the old hotel into senior living, accompanied by a policy of pets allowed - an important detail for many residents who value companionship and home-like atmospheres. The same comments express confidence in Colleen's ability to look out for residents' best interests, praising the relocation from a confusing or challenging past to a place described as clean, well-located, and possessed of a thriving, friendly community. The sentiment is that Colleen is the kind of manager "you want looking after your elders," and that the complex offers a clean, welcoming environment with a strong social fabric.

As with any longer-running property, not every voice is uniformly positive, and a subset of reviews raises concerns about conditions that they feel have not been adequately addressed. One account questions why all the windows across the building are sealed shut, arguing that such a practice would fail to meet building codes that require operable windows for ventilation and emergency egress. This reviewer frames the issue as a potential habitability violation and offers practical steps: check local regulations, contact the landlord for explanations and possible repairs, and seek legal advice if necessary. Another section of the conversation brings in a patchwork of safety and maintenance concerns - claims of no heat in a bedroom, the possibility of a large-scale heat or air quality problem, and even assertions about humidity making the living environment uncomfortable or unsafe for individuals with breathing issues. There's also a criticism that the facility may be infested with bedbugs and that staff could be doing a better job of keeping the space clean. Against these accounts, some residents still talk about pleasant personal interactions, supportive staff, and attractive, well-maintained apartments, underscoring the varied experiences people have in the same building.

The tapestry of reviews also includes some harsher, more visceral expressions of dissatisfaction. One former resident describes the place as "like a mini homeless shelter" during their time there, noting a lack of heat and ongoing concerns about who is living in the building. They even suggest that the city should condemn the property, painting a stark contrast to the more glowing testimonials about safety and community in other accounts. Another reviewer emphasizes that moving in with certain health considerations could be risky due to the reported condition of the environment, reiterating concerns about humidity, air quality, and sealed windows. A separate post about bedbugs adds to the sense that there are severe maintenance and cleanliness issues that prospective tenants may want to investigate before signing.

Despite these disagreements, the reviews collectively present a picture of a building with a strong potential for comfort and community when well-managed, and a number of residents who feel personally connected to Colleen and to the ties that form among neighbors. The positive voices highlight not only a more aesthetically pleasing exterior and interior but also the social infrastructure that helps seniors stay engaged: frequent social events, opportunities for donations and mutual aid, and convenient amenities. The presence of an attentive manager who seems to care deeply about both safety and happiness is repeatedly cited as a central strength, one that can transform an ordinary apartment building into a place many residents are glad to call home.

In sum, the building's recent years have yielded a complex but hopeful portrait. For some residents, Colleen's leadership translates into a safe, lively, and well-maintained community where the grounds are cared for, the property looks better, and people feel connected through activities and supportive staff. For others, lingering concerns about heat, ventilation, cleanliness, and pests point to real problems that require ongoing attention and oversight. The diversity of experiences underscores the reality that senior housing communities can be thriving and welcoming for some while presenting serious challenges to others. The thread tying these perspectives together is a shared recognition of an improving property, a manager who is seen as a vital asset, and a demand for consistent standards and diligent maintenance to ensure that all tenants can enjoy a comfortable, dignified, and safe living environment. The observations include a mix of gratitude, concern, pride in improvement, and calls for continued vigilance so that the good parts endure and the negative experiences can be addressed.

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.1 miles)
• Craft’d (1.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Wendy's (0.1 miles)
• Midtown Station (0.6 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.6 miles)
• Sag Wagon Deli & Brew (0.8 miles)
• Pub 217 (0.9 miles)
• Iowa Brewing Company L (1 miles)
• Black Sheep Social Club (1.1 miles)

Physicians

• Iowa Eye Center (0.3 miles)
• Andreas Kyvernitakis, MD (0.3 miles)
• Envisions Medical Spa (0.4 miles)
• Physicians' Clinic Of Iowa P.C. (0.4 miles)
• Forefront Dermatology Cedar Rapids, IA (0.4 miles)
• Robert John Barry (0.4 miles)
• Family Practice Associates (0.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Medical Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• CarePro Home Medical (0.4 miles)
• Aim Healthcare (0.8 miles)
• Hy-Vee Drugstore (1.2 miles)
• Jrs Pharma (1.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)

Hospitals

• UnityPoint | St Lukes Cedar Rapids (0.4 miles)
• St Luke's Hospital 5C (0.5 miles)
• Mercy Medical Center (0.6 miles)
• Mercy Birthplace (0.6 miles)
• Mercy Medical Center (1.6 miles)
• Southwest Regional Medical Center (2.1 miles)

Parks

• Greene Square Park (0.8 miles)
• Van Vechten Park (1.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Temple Judah (1.7 miles)
• Central Church of Christ (2.3 miles)
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Parsonage (2.9 miles)

Theaters

• Marcus Theatres (3.1 miles)