By William Smith
Community Editor
Not many people can influence the trajectory of a small town behind the scenes while simultaneously maintaining a beloved personality in public. Bob Brueck, a longtime Burlington developer who died Sunday, was one of those rare few.
His investments in downtown Burlington, including the Burlington Apartments, redevelopment of the Schramm building, and the revitalization of the Capitol Theater, earned him an Emmy award from the city.
Even more lasting was his nickname – “Mr. Downtown.”
“He loved that, being called ‘Mr. Downtown,’” said Steve Frevert, former director of Downtown Partners.
Brueck also loved Burlington. A former pressman at the Hawk Eye newspaper, Brueck eventually expanded into the construction and redevelopment business. He was an ardent family man, and his large family was always fodder for good-natured humor.
“The way Bob told it, his family kept growing, so his boss at the Hawk Eye said, ‘You have to find a better paying job.’ That’s how he started doing home building and construction and design,” Frevert said.
Brueck was born and raised in Burlington, back when the downtown area thrummed with commerce. He was always down there.
After graduating from Notre Dame Catholic High School, Brueck spent 22 years as a pressman. He also has seven sons and three daughters, and it was their desire to attend college that changed Brueck's path.
As Frevert pointed out, his wage at The Hawk Eye wasn't going to cut it. So, he founded Brueck Construction Co. in 1976, and more than 40 years later, the business continues to thrive under the direction of the next generation.
But as Brueck started to rise to prominence, downtown Burlington started to regress. The popularity of malls ate into downtown interest and dollars. Buildings that once hosted large department stores became abandoned, and big box retail stores came into town, making things worse.
Despite the downtown deterioration, Burlington had been good to Brueck and he wanted to return the favor. His generosity was not because he felt he owed a debt but because he wanted to help save his town.
“He just loved to be involved with stuff,” Frevert said.
Brueck bought the Schramm Building on Third and Jefferson streets, then filled it with condos. The long-dead Capitol Theater was resurrected as a performance venue that still shows movies and hosts performances. The Art Center of Burlington moved downtown, and after a bit of struggle, became a hot spot for the local art scene under the direction of Tammy McCoy.
When the Capitol Theater marquee started advertising birthdays, Brueck was the first to climb the ladder and apply the message.
“He would do whatever it took to get the job done,” said former Hawk Eye publisher Steve Delaney.
Brueck, who was scout master of Boy Scout Troop 3, was awarded for his service by the scouts in 2018. He became a cheerleader for the entire southeast Iowa and west-central Illinois region, dotting the area with hundreds of homes. Downtown Partners honored him as Volunteer of the Year. He earned the top National Leadership Award for downtown revitalization at a ceremony in Baltimore, Md.
The awards were fun and a nice bit of recognition, but it was people who mattered to Bob.
You just couldn’t get mad at him.
“He was a gregarious guy. He had a big family, and knowing so many people, he touched so many lives. Burlington is a much better place because of him,” Frevert said.
Brueck was close friends with Ron Billups, the late father of Burlington Mayor Jon Billups. Jon counts Brueck as one of his mentors, and paid tribute to him through several Facebook posts the day after Bob’s death.
“He was the one that taught me that if you believe in something enough and you worked at it, you could make it happen. He taught me the importance of building consensus. He was always positive, confident,” Billups said.
Brueck dedicated the last 25 years of his professional life to the revitalization of downtown and saved the Port of Burlington from possible demolition. The structure was instead developed to include the Welcome Center.
Former Burlington council member and DPI director Janet McCannon was one of Brueck’s best friends and remembers when he floated the idea of turning the Schramm building into apartments. Some years later, she was living in one of them.
“He had such a good eye for things that would benefit the downtown,” she said.
Bob had sharp, strong opinions, but never pushed them on other people. He was more cheerleader than debater and would enlist the help of everyone he knew to carry out renovation projects.
That’s how he ended up on a seven-year journey to restore the Capitol Theater. Downtown business owner Becky Anderson led the charge, but she couldn’t have done it without Brueck or the rest of the board members.
“He seldom missed a meeting. He always had the vision for what the Capitol Theater could be. It was his idea to purchase the building next door because he saw that it could only succeed with both buildings combined. He drew up the first floor plans,” Anderson said.
Brueck was in his seventies then, and Anderson was continually amazed at his energy and positivity. The man never gave up.
“He wanted to see the whole downtown flourish. And you see the downtown now, and that’s starting to happen,” Anderson said.
Bob’s mind wasn’t always on buildings. He was a huge supporter of Notre Dame, the SCC Blackhawks, and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Additionally, he sang in a barbershop quartet for over 25 years.
Above all, however, Bob was one thing.
“He was a good man,” Anderson said.