The funding has now been secured for Belle Plaine’s downtown revitalization project, but on Tuesday night, City Administrator Bill Daily told the Belle Plaine City Council that there’s still plenty of work to be done even before the first improvements can be seen.
“We’re going to get there,” Daily reported. “There are still a few bumps in the road. Nothing about this has been easy.”
City officials were scheduled to meet this week with representatives of the RDG Design Group to go over design concepts for the downtown facades. Once those designs are more complete, officials will then meet individually with downtown property owners to make their presentation and secure the temporary easements needed to proceed. Officials are also to meet with Northland Securities to discuss the funding streams.
Although admitting there are “a lot of hurdles yet,” Daily predicted that residents will notice some activity on the project yet this fall. He also announced that the Belle Plaine Community Development Corporation has appointed Sheila Hlas as its new executive director and she is expected to have plenty to do with this project.
Storm water management will be a part of the downtown project and the council approved an agreement with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments for administrative assistance with the I-Jobs grant for the project. The cost of the agreement is $5,000.
The council also approved two payments on the construction of the aquatics center. A final retainage payment of $5,000 to Ricchio Inc. was approved, as was a payment of $35,480.63 to Garling Construction. Only a final retainage payment to Garling remains to be paid.
The council approved a request from the Knights of Columbus to sell Tootsie Rolls at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 13th Streets on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 8 a.m. to noon.
