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Economic Development Awards Given Out to 9 Communities

Iowa News Service

The Gazette

January 30, 2006

[Note: This material is copyright by the Iowa News Service and The Gazette, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of The Gazette.]

The Iowa Department of Economic Development has announced awards to nine Iowa communities, including several in Eastern Iowa, through a fund administered by the Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa.

The funds are part of the Main Street Challenge Grants created through a $500,000 appropriation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, joined Gov. Tom Vilsack and Department of Economic Development Director Mary Lawyer to make the announcement Saturday at the State Capitol.

The 2006 HUD Challenge Grant recipients in Eastern Iowa are:

Elkader, $48,000 for adaptive reuse of a 1914 industrial building into a mixed-use commercial and art center.

Central City, $32,000 for rehabilitation of an 1892 building, vacant since 1984.

Bonaparte, $40,000 for renovation of the 1892 Meeks Pants Factory into a reception/special events space.

Waterloo, $40,000 for conversion of upper floors in the 1914 Blacks Building into 11 market-rate apartments.

Dubuque, $25,000 for rehabilitation of an 1876 building, including first-floor retail space and upper-floor loft apartments.

Keokuk, $25,000 for restoration and adaptive reuse of a 1920s building into offices and loft apartments.