WATERLOO - A nonprofit historic preservation group hopes to establish a warehouse in Waterloo for materials salvaged from homes damaged by the flood of 2008.

"Waterloo would be our operations center in northern Iowa," said Rod Scott, president of the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance's board of directors. "This is a pilot program we think can become a national model."

IHPA is in the process of opening an architectural salvage and recycling operation in Cedar Rapids, which has about 1,000 historic homes damaged by floods in June. The group recently stripped four historic mansions of multipanel doors, trim and original wood flooring before their demolition.

"We look to move historic homes first, put them back on the tax rolls away from the riversheds," said Scott. The salvage operation is the next option.

Warehoused materials will be marketed on the Internet for reuse in homes away from flood plains, with an emphasis on assisting those recovering from the natural disaster.

FEMA would pay to set up the salvage operation. Waterloo is an attractive site due to its size and highway access.

The group is looking for a building to house the salvage barn, which would accept materials from throughout northern Iowa. It would be staffed by a federal emergency public jobs program, administered by Iowa Workforce Development.

The proposal drew a positive response from Waterloo city officials, who heard a presentation on the project Monday.

"It sounds like a great idea," said Mayor Tim Hurley.

Contact Tim Jamison at (319) 291-1577 or tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com.