Main Street Iowa Recognizes Outstanding Achievements
Award Winning Projects and Volunteers Honored
Davenport's Hilltop Campus Village received the two awards, one for Volunteer of the Year and another for Outstanding Achievement in New Construction at the 27th annual Main Street Iowa Awards celebration that was held on Friday, May 2 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. HCV Board President Robert E. Lee, Sylvia Runkle, Ralph Kelly, Christopher Meyer, Ann Hutchinson and Jeff Cook represented the Hilltop Campus Village, along with their director Scott Tunnicliff. Also on hand to was Jackie Nickolaus, Vice-President of development for Sherman-Associates, the firm that developed Harrison Loft, this year's award-winning project. The event was attended by nearly 500 people representing communities across the state. Competitive nominations were submitted for 77 projects and activities within the five categories of design, economic restructuring, organization, promotion and overall program. Nineteen were recognized with awards and two received honorable mention.
The honors were presented by Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). Also attending was retiring Senator Tom Harkin, a long-time advocate of Main Street Iowa from his senate seat in Washington D.C.
"We knew from the very beginning that Main Street Iowa was not a quick-fix solution, but rather an incremental approach to fostering positive change." stated Governor Branstad. "In my travels across the state, I have seen the program at work in small towns, mid-size cities, urban centers and neighborhood commercial districts. It has had far greater impact than we ever could have imagined in 1985."
"We must all appreciate the fact that healthy historic commercial districts are a key deciding factor for industrial and business recruitment. In order for us to create 200,000 new jobs, we need healthy Main Streets," commented Lt. Governor Reynolds. "Taxpayers are certainly getting their money's worth. Since 1986, for every dollar the state of Iowa has invested in operating the state Main Street program, the private sector in those communities has invested $87.99 into building improvements and acquisitions."
"It was a memorable evening for all of us, and an inspirational one as well." added Hilltop Campus Village director Scott Tunnicliff. "The award we received, for the Harrison Loft and the parking lot serving it, was a great example of partners from the city, Sherman-Associates, the Iowa-American Water Company, the RDA and others. All of them saw clearly what this project could mean to our area, and stepped forward to make it happen. We had a sizable group here, and I wish we could have had more to see what is being done in communities of all sizes around the state to enhance the vitality of their communities."
As a highlight of the evening, a special award was presented to the community of West Union for their innovative thinking, persistence and partnerships to enable success in the implementation of the Green Pilot Streetscape Project as the "Signature Project of the Year." This award honors a project that rises above traditional award categories in impact and significance. West Union's project leveraged resources from many local, state and federal partners including the Community Development Block Grant program.
For more information about Main Street Iowa and how all Iowa communities can access commercial revitalization assistance through the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, visit http://www.iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/IDRC/MainStreetIowa, e-mail mainstreet@iowa.gov or call 515.725.3051.
A list of Main Street Iowa communities and award winners follows. Photographs will be posted at
http://iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/IDRC/MainStreetIowa after May 5.
###
