Belle Plaine city officials now join the list of communities in a waiting game after making a formal presentation seeking funding from the Vision Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Board Wednesday.
City Administrator Bill Daily presented the city’s bid, the second time Belle Plaine has sought just over $500,000 in state funds from the program for its downtown revitalization project. The board rejected the city’s last bid a year ago, but upon further review by CAT staff and some board members, Belle Plaine was urged to re-apply.
Daily was joined by a contingent of local officials, including Mayor Jim Daily, Councilmen Marv DeRycke, Harold Ealy and Garrison Reekers, Park and Recreation Director Joel Formanek, Benton County Supervisor Ron Buch, State Sen. Tim Kapucian, several members of the Belle Plaine Community Development Board and other interested local residents. Mike Bell, whose RDG design firm has been with the city every step of the way in development of the downtown revitalization project, was also at the presentation to answer questions from the CAT board. Katherine Ollendieck of Advanced Development Services, who has been a consultant on the project, was also at the CAT meeting.
Daily told the board that the Belle Plaine project is not just a streetscape project, but a “holistic approach” to downtown revitalization. Addressing some concerns of the board from the previous bid, Daily said that the city has been active in seeking other funding revenues for the project. He said that the city has received the only CDBG grant for downtown redevelopment granted in the state. As a part of requirements for that grant, owners of 36 of the city’s 47 downtown properties have indicated that they will grant temporary easements to allow for façade updates, which will be partially funded through the CDBG grant.
He told the board that three businesses are moving to the downtown district, thanks to $7,500 grants from city funds that have helped in interior renovations totaling $60,000, $40,000 and $20,000 for the three businesses.
In addition, the city has received a $100,000 Department of Natural Resources I-Jobs grant for storm water management in the downtown area and is seeking a Brownfield grant to help in the renovation of several downtown properties.
Daily also pointed out that the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) had designated Belle Plaine as a Main Street Iowa Community and several staff members from the IDED were also at the meeting.
“We believe in this project, the IDED believes, the DNR believes,” he told the board, as he invited Vision Iowa to join the project with a favorable decision.
CAT grant funds would be used to enhance the downtown project in Belle Plaine with signage and other visual aspects that would help make the downtown a destination, city officials have said.
The Belle Plaine application was one of eight considered by the board at Wednesday’s meeting. There were two other downtown projects on the list. Kalona was requesting nearly $550,000 for its $2,844,000 project. Representatives from that city told the board that Kalona is known for its handmade quilts and one of the artistic aspects to its plans include inlaying 42 quilt blocks into downtown sidewalks.
West Union city officials presented the other downtown project. This project, budgeted at more than $8.6 million, includes various “green” aspects, including storm water management and geothermal heating for downtown buildings. West Union is requesting $1,350,000 from the CAT board.
This project brought a strong endorsement from Tim Waddell, division administrator with the IDED, who sat at the board table, but was not listed as a board member. He said the West Union project was important as an example on how a city can retrofit an area for storm water management.
There were also requests for funds for community buildings in Elma, Buffalo Center and Orange City, a separate request for outdoor recreation fields from West Union and a bid from the Hubbard Public Library.
The CAT board has an annual appropriation of $12 million. It usually funds up to 18 percent of approved projects.
Each of the projects presented on Wednesday, including the one from Belle Plaine, was taken under advisement for further review by staff and board members. The board is scheduled to meet next month in Stuart.