Kalona downtown revitalization advances with $108k state grant

The City of Kalona received notice on June 9 of a $108,000 state Vision Iowa - Community Attraction and Tourism grant to support its $2.8 million downtown streetscape and stormwater project.

The project includes streetscape of 5^th Street and Avenue B, 4^th Street to 6^th Street Alley, and the Community Center Parking lot.  Specific components of the streetscape will include: storm water management, new energy efficient street lighting, ADA compliant street access, artistic quilt designs, way finding signage, plantings and landscaping, benches and street furniture.

The Vision Iowa funding was to help support the public art component of the project - 33 brick quilt blocks to be inset into the sidewalks around downtown. Local sponsorship for these quilt blocks raised almost $87,000, which was crucial in securing the state grant. The idea for the brick quilt blocks from downtown businessperson, Chamber President, and revitalization committee member, Lori Mostek.

This Vision Iowa grant is in addition to a November 2009 grant for $1,050,000 from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation.


Planning for the downtown streetscape took several steps, each of which involved a steering committee and much public involvement.

• In 2004 when the City and Kalona Chamber commissioned the Iowa Dept. of Economic Development's Downtown Resource Center to conduct a Downtown Assessment.
• In 2006 the City hired Gary Lozano of RDG Planning and Design to update its Comprehensive Plan, with a special emphasis on the downtown. (Lozano later did the Washington County Comprehensive Plan update and Zoning Ordinance design.)
  
• In 2008, the City hired MMS Consultants of Iowa City to design a downtown revitalization project. Principals working on the project included Kalona local, Luke Newton, ASLA, and Kelly Beckler, P.E.
• In 2009, Katherine Ollendieck, of Advanced Development Services in Dysart, came on to the project to solidify the concept and to prepare the grant applications for the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and for Vision Iowa. This is Ollendieck's third successful Riverboat Foundation/Vision Iowa application from Washington County. The first two were the Wellman Parkside Activites Center and the Washington Free Public Library.

Construction on the Kalona Community Center parking lot, and some street and alley reconstruction has already started. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.

The first big project in the downtown revitalization was the 2004 construction of the new Kalona Public Library.

Economic Development can be fun

Through a twist of fate, Ed Raber won The Dating Game at last weeks Professional Developers of Iowa conference in West Des Moines. The updated Economic Development version of the 60s TV show was hosted by lovely and groovy hostess, Julie Curtin of Development Counselors International, a national tourism and community marketing firm.

For winning, Raber got to have lunch with Deane Foote, a business site selector of Foote Consulting Group, LLC based in Glendale, AZ.  Foote had done some work with Raber and WEDG in the past, and it was good to let him know what current opportunities are here in Washington County. The hotel restaurant food wasn't that great, though.

SBA 504 Loans - a great deal for business and banks

Now that there is an uptick in economic activity, its time to think about the SBA 504 loan program, a great tool for small business to get the capital that they need to grow, and it has a great interest rate and low or no fees. Businesses and entrepreneurs can access SBA 504 loans through their local lender who works with the Iowa Business Growth Company (IBG), an SBA certified development company.

According to the SBA and the IBG, the top ten uses nationally for SBA 504 loans are:

1. Hotels & Motels
2. Physicians
3. Full Service Restaurants
4. Dentists
5. Child Care Services
6. Fast Food Restaurants
7. Veterinarians
8. Lawyers
9. Grocery Stores
10. Gas stations & C-stores

In Washington County, IBG and local lenders have used SBA 504 loans for office building construction, purchase of an existing retail business, construction of a new manufacturing facility, and even a hog building.

Current IBG 504 Loan Rates are 10 year - 4.607% and 20 year - 5.523%. Very competitive.

The usual structure of a project using SBA 504 funding is:

• Applicant/Borrower - 10%
• Bank or Conventional Lender - 50%
• IBG SBA 504 - 40%

The benefits to business applicants are:

• Minimal cash down payment (usually 10%)
• Fixed interest rate
• Long term financing
• No balloon payment
• 504 Loan funds can be used for:
• Land or building acquisition
• Building construction or renovation
• Long-term or project-related equipment or furniture
• Soft costs associated with the project

An SBA 504 loan can even be used to refinance or repackage existing debt in some circumstances.

Ask your lender about financing your next business expansion or start-up with an SBA 504 loan. You can get more info on the IBG web site at www.iowabusinessgrowth.com.  As always, businesses can also contact Ed Raber at the Washington Economic Development Group (319-653-3942) to confidentially discuss your project.

MD Orthopaedics of Wayland among fastest growing companies in the Corridor

The Corridor Business Journal has named the 15 fastest-growing companies in the Corridor, at its 3rd annual "Fastest Companies" awards breakfast, May 25, 2010 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott.

Thomas L. Cardella & Associates (TCA) was named the Corridor's "Fastest Company," and it was their first year making the list. TCA had 919% revenue growth over the past 3 years. TCA is an inbound telemarketing firm based in the Corridor and founded by serial entrepreneur Tom Cardella.

MD Orthopaedics of Wayland, Iowa was ranked 6th this year. In 2009 they were ranked 3rd, just behind the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Washington County.

MD Orthopaedics was founded in 2003 by inventor and designer John Mitchell. They make special braces and shoes for infants for use with the Ponseti Method of Clubfoot Treatment.

According to the CBJ, to be eligible, companies had to earn at least $350,000 annually and were ranked based on the percentage increase in revenue experienced from 2007 to 2009. Businesses submitted tax forms or audit statements to participate and Honkamp Krueger & Co., evaluated the entries.

The top 15 is listed below. Profiles of all winning companies can be found in the May 31 issue of the Corridor Business Journal.

1. Thomas L Cardella & Associates
2. HH Ventures LLC (Ready Mobile)
3. SecurityCoverage Inc.
4. AES Corp.
5. Clickstop Inc.
6. MD Orthopaedics Inc. - of Wayland, IA
7. Ovation Networks
8. Service Master Avenue of the Saints
9.  Expense Reduction Analysts
10. Involta LLC
11. Raining Rose Inc.
12. Innomatix LLC
13. TMone
14. RuffaloCody
15. Bankers Trust Co.

Washington County unemployment plummets

The Washington County, Iowa unemployment rate plummeted in April, 2010 to 5.9% from 6.7% in March.

While the County's labor force remained steady at 12,400 people, the number of unemployed persons dropped by 100 to 700 - people are getting back to work.  Since the early 1990s, Washington County's labor force has grown significantly.

Johnson County's unemployment rate was stable at 4.7% with 3800 unemployed, but with a growing labor force. Of Washington's other neighboring Counties, all but Henry and Louisa had decreasing unemployment from March to April.

The State's April (seasonally adjusted) unemployment rate was 6.9%. From March, there was an increase in the number of people unemployed, but also an increase in the number of people with jobs.

The national unemployment rate increased to 9.9% in April, comparable to only the hardest hit counties in Iowa. It is good to be in Iowa, especially in Washington County.

                      MARCH  2010                  APRIL  2010

COUNTIES:             LABOR                        LABOR
(NOT SEASONAL ADJ.)   FORCE    EMP   UNEMP RATE    FORCE    EMP  UNEMP RATE
WASHINGTON
  (PART OF IC MSA) ..  12400   11600   800  6.7    12400   11700   700  5.9
JOHNSON (PART OF MSA)  80900   77100  3800  4.7    81600   77800  3800  4.7
HENRY ..............    9850    8830  1020 10.3     9980    8850  1120 11.3
JEFFERSON ..........    8370    7560   810  9.6     8230    7490   740  9.0
KEOKUK .............    5740    5240   500  8.8     5670    5240   430  7.6
LINN (PART OF MSA) .  121900  113300  8700  7.1   123100  114600  8600  6.9
LOUISA .............    6240    5710   530  8.5     6320    5760   550  8.8
IOWA CITY MSA ......   93300   88600  4700  5.0    94000   89500  4600  4.8

IOWA (SEASONAL ADJ). 1684600 1570500 114200 6.8  1689500 1572700 116800 6.9

U.S. (SEASONAL ADJ)*  153910  138905  15005 9.7   154715  139455  15260 9.9
  * FIGURES ROUNDED TO NEAREST THOUSAND

SOURCE: LABOR MARKET AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH BUREAU, 
IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT  (515) 281-8182
 

Washington and Wellman receive housing rehab grants

The Cities of Washington and Wellman have received major grants for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation from the Iowa Dept. of Economic Development's "Housing Fund." On May 12, 2010, Gov. Chulver announced that 47 communities and projects received funding totalling $29 million to improve affordable housing in Iowa.

The Cities were assisted in writing the grant applications for these funds by ECICOG, a non-profit, 28E organization based in Cedar Rapids that covers 6 counties including Washington County. ECICOG will also administer the rehab programs for the Cities.

Washington received $218,234 to rehabilitate a minimum of 6 owner-occupied homes in a northside neighborhood. Homeowners may receive up to $25,000 in a forgivable loan to rehab their home, plus up to $8,000 to mitigate any lead based paint. The loan to the homeowner is forgiven after 5 years if they continue to reside in the home.


View Washington Housing Rehab Target Area in a larger map

The City of Wellman received $226,234 in funding to rehab a minimum of 6 owner-occupied homes in a west side neighborhood.  Like Washington, these forgivable loans can provide up to $25,000 in rehab and up to $8,000 to deal with lead based paint.


View Wellman Housing Rehab Target Area in a larger map

Both cities plan to solicit applications from home owners in the target areas later in the Summer.

The funding for IDED's "Housing Fund" comes from the federal HUD, CDBG and HOME programs targeted to Iowa cities under 50,000 population.

2 commercial projects move forward in Washington

Two separate commercial projects have taken steps forward with the Washington Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council.

View Proposed Mercy Family Medicine of Washington site in a larger map

Mercy Family Medicine of Washington, a merger of Mercy Iowa City and Family Practice of Washington medical clinic, is planning to build a new $4 million, 15,000 s.f. clinic building on South Iowa Ave. next to the Latter Day Saints Church. It is a few blocks from the clinic's current site at the Washington County Hospital and Clinics. The 8 acre site was purchased from the LDS Church a few years ago by developers looking to build a new assisted living facility and had it rezoned to R-5. Mercy has a purchase option on the parcel now and has asked it to be rezoned to R-4, which with a variance, will allow a medical clinic. The clinic will be a taxable property.

Mr. Greg Wiley submitted a preliminary plat of six parcels on the east and west sides on the newly opened Super Wal-Mart on Washington's east side.  MMS Consultants of Iowa City developed the preliminary plat.

View Wiley Commercial Development in a larger map

On the recommendation of the P&Z, the Washington City Council, at its May 19 meeting, passed the Mercy rezoning on to the 2nd reading of the ordinance, and approved the Wiley preliminary plat .