March 2016 - Marion Economic Development Corporation | MEDCO

The Business Connection
March 2016
v
New Laborshed Analysis Highlights
Workforce Characteristics
Inside
New MEDCO Board
Members
Page 5
Project: Progress
Page 10-11
2016 Uptown
Development Projects
Page 14
MEDCO is committed
to helping create an
environment
where
a
skilled and well-educated
pipeline equips businesses
to achieve more. In 2015,
MEDCO partnered with the
Economic Alliance, other
local economic development
organizations, and area
utilities to complete an
updated Laborshed report
from
Iowa
Workforce
Development. A Laborshed is the area
or region from which an
employment center draws
its commuting workers. To
determine the approximate
Join Us
MEDCO's Annual Business
luncheon is March 9, 2016. Iowa
Workforce Development will
delve into interesting details of
the Laborshed Report. Keynote
Speaker Sandy Henshaw from
Northland CAPS will discuss
promising school/work innovation.
Register at medcoiowa.org.
boundaries of a Laborshed
area, local employers supply
the residential ZIP codes
of each of their employees.
MEDCO partnered on the
Laborshed done for the
Cedar Rapids-area, which
also includes data regarding
Marion. Data was collected
from over 2400 employers
and households. This Laborshed analysis is
extensive, providing data on
items such as the percentage
of people employed in
the area by industry type,
wage levels, those who are
employed and likely to
change employment, and
a map showing commuter
concentration coming into
Marion for employment.
Below is a chart of
employment
levels
by
industry.
To see the report in
its entirety, go to www.
medcoiowa.org/workforce.
EMPLOYMENT LEVELS
AND STATUS BY INDUSTRY
Industry % of Employed
Estimated # of Employed
AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & MINING
16.4%
79,189
CONSTRUCTION
15.4%
74,361
EDUCATION
ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION
14.4%
69,532
13.9%
67,118
FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE
8.7%
42,009
HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SERVICES
8.5%
41,043
MANUFACTURING
6.9%
33,317
PERSONAL SERVICES
5.6%
27,040
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
4.6%
22,212
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & GOVERNMENT
3.3%
15,934
TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION & UTILITIES
1.5%
7,243
WHOLESALE & RETAIL TRADE
0.8%
3,863
This table includes all respondents without consideration of employment status or willingness to change/enter employment.
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
Marion Career Explorer Club
Connecting Marion students to Marion employers
MEDCO partners with
the Marion Independent
School district to support
the Creative Corridor’s
first Career Explorer Club
at Vernon Middle School.
The club meets monthly at
a local business, giving the
employer an opportunity
to teach the students more
about their industry, their
company, and the skills
needed to work for them.
The program was created as
an innovative co-educational
program with the goal to
expose students to various
career opportunities across
different industry pathways.
Businesses who have
participated are Barnes
Manufacturing,
Farmers
State Bank, Freund-Vector
Corp., Hy-Vee Marion,
KCRG,
Linn
County
REC, Marion Fire Station,
Marion Physical Therapy,
Marion
Police
Station,
Marion Public Service, OHE
Industries, Unity Point –
Marion Campus, and the
Solid Waste Agency.
MEDCO
encourages
each of the worksite hosts
to introduce the students
to a wide variety of career
professionals within the
2
Students from Vernon Middle School get to touch and feel some of the products used at OHE Industries during
their Career Explorer worksite tour.
business. The students are
at the beginning of their
career exploration journey
and benefit from hearing
about a variety of jobs. Some
of the students will enter
the workforce directly out
of high school, some will
go on to technical training
and some may be headed
for a 4-year or more degree.
Worksite tours can show the
students that there are more
than one type of job in a
company and more than one
career path to take.
Business
hosts
talk
about ‘soft skills’ – what
every employer wants in an
employee – trust-worthiness,
timeliness, communication
skills, and the ability to
collaborate. Technical skills are important, as well as
general aptitude to be
successful in certain careers.
But, everyone needs to show
up to work on time, get along
with their co-workers, and
be counted on to have a good
work ethic. These students
hear this message from every
business host.
Maxwell Grant, President
of OHE Industries, explains
why he got his company
involved, “I believe career
exploration for schoolaged students is valuable
because bringing real-world
scenarios to kids this age
is invaluable in thinking
about future hopes, goals,
and roles in communities,
socially and globally. It
helps students to process
the requirements needed
for their dream job, and the
reality of what is required to
be successful at each stage of
their development in pursuit
of that career.”
If you are interested in
hosting the Career Explorer
Club at your business, email
Nanci Young at nanci@
medcoiowa.org.
A Note From Nick
What is a healthy
organization? With the
beginning of a new year,
many businesses spend
time refocusing on strategic
plans. Some of you might
also still be clinging to those
New Year’s resolutions. As the Marion Economic
Development Corporation
enters 2016, we too are
working to ensure the
dollars invested in MEDCO
are spent wisely in order
to create clarity for why we
Nick Glew, MEDCO President.
exist and how we operate in
the Marion community and Iowa’s Creative Corridor.
Over the final months of 2015, MEDCO hosted
more than 20 group conversations with investors, our
internal committees, educators, government, community
stakeholders, and directly
with many business owners.
6 Critical
These meetings created the
Questions to
foundation of what we call
Create Clarity
the MEDCO Playbook.
Based on author Patrick
1. Why do we exist?
Lencioni’s
best-selling
2. How do we behave?
book “The Advantage,” our
3. What do we do?
playbook answers six critical
4. How will we succeed?
questions to help us create
5. What is most important,
clarity and alignment as our
right now?
staff and leadership team
6. Who must do what?
work to execute strategy in
2016 and beyond.
MEDCO exists to create an exceptional business
environment for companies to compete and thrive.
Digging deeper into this statement formed the basis of
our stakeholder engagement sessions. We wanted to further
define “an exceptional business environment” and how
MEDCO leads.
Four themes became clear throughout this engagement
process. They include compete & thrive, innovation, talent,
and marketing. The following descriptions were developed
to further clarify and define this “exceptional business
environment,”
1. Compete & Thrive
An environment where exceptional companies compete
and thrive. We make Marion the choice for business. We’ve
thought of everything for you.
2. Innovation
An environment where leadership drives action. We’re
home to thousands of entrepreneurial free thinking over
achievers. We have the right team to turn ideas into
innovation while helping our loyal companies reach higher
in business and in life.
3. Talent
An environment where a skilled and well-educated talent
pipeline equips businesses to achieve more.
4. Marketing
An environment that promotes targeted economic growth
opportunities by leveraging the successes and strengths of
our community.
Each of these themes now have specific actions items that
will drive outcomes over the next three years. We will begin
sharing and collaborating with our internal committees to
execute this action and strategy. This is where we need your
help. If you have interest in being at the table with us to
“create an exceptional business environment for companies
to compete and thrive,” I would love to visit with you. We
have a seat at the table for you to contribute your ideas and
experience.
As we approach our annual meeting in March, we will
celebrate the work of all our businesses and development
community. Growth and momentum in Marion is high.
Thank you for the work that each of you do every day. Thank
you for choosing Marion to grow your business. We’re
working hard each day to help you reach higher and achieve
more.
MEDCO looks forward to working for you in 2016!
MEDCO Board member Lee Eilers leads a strategic planning exercise to
develop the MEDCO Playbook.
Nick Glew, President
nick@medcoiowa.org
MarionReachHigher.org
3
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
Meet Nanci Young, MEDCO
Director of Strategic Engagement
What
is
background?
your I grew up in the area
and graduated from
Regis High School (yes, it
was a high school once!). As
a proud UNI Panther with a
degree in Spanish, I headed
out to the west coast to apply
my foreign language skills.
Los Angeles was fun, but
after a few years, I realized
that Iowa was the place
to be. I came back home
and worked as the General
Manager for Cambridge
TEMPositions and then as
the Department Coordinator
for Kirkwood’s Workplace
Learning Connection. At
both positions, regional
employment,
workforce
development, and career
companies to compete and
thrive!
What
about
this
position excites you
the most?
Nanci Young, MEDCO Director of
Strategic Engagement.
training played a big part in
my responsibilities. So, I come
to the Marion Economic
Development Corp with
relevant background, ready
to make an impact on our
mission of making Marion
an exceptional place for
This
just
seems
like a natural fit. I
am passionate about the
opportunities that this
community has to offer. I
want to share the news of
these opportunities with
everyone I can. And, I love
meeting people and hearing
their stories. I plan to share
those stories with companies
looking to expand or set up
their operations in Marion.
We’ve got a great story to tell,
and I feel fortunate to be in
the position to tell it!
What do you like to do
in your free time?
What free time? As a
mother of 3 daughters,
I have attended, and will
continue to attend, many
Linn-Mar activities such
as band concerts, sporting
events, and show choir
competitions. My husband,
Chris, is a software engineer.
MEDCO Board of Directors
The following new members have joined the MEDCO Board of Directors for 2016:
We enjoy going to hear live
music, socializing with our
friends, and binge watching
the latest ‘must-see’ series on
Netflix.
Where do you see
Marion in 5 years?
I believe that I have
joined MEDCO at the
perfect time. There’s so many
good things happening in
Marion right now and the
future is looking bright!
The Marion Enterprise
Center on the east edge
of town is growing with
new businesses, which will
strengthen our economy and
attract further enterprise to
the area. I believe we’ll have
a stronger link to our talent
pipeline by establishing
internship
opportunities
for those great Marion HS
and Linn-Mar HS students
who leave the town for
college but come back
for career opportunities.
And, I look forward to the
social establishments being
planned in Marion, where
we all can enjoy each other’s
company at the end of a
workday!
Chris Dyer
Kevin Hupp
Corbin Mollman
Steve Neighbor
Quintin Shepherd
Marion Independent School District
Hupp Electric Motors
Legacy Manufacturing
Farmers State Bank
Linn-Mar Community Schools
Superintendent
President
Sales Manager
MEDCO would like to recognize the
service of these outgoing Board members:
Sr. Vice President
Superintendent
Save The Date
For High Five
Jim Bouslog
John Hartmann
Bouslog Insurance Corp.
Farmers State Bank
Owner
Sr. Vice President
Mark your calendars for June 8, 2016! The
Marion Chamber, along with MEDCO and
Uptown Marion Main Street will celebrate
a sampling of new development projects
making a positive impact in the community.
Similar to last year, the event will benefit
a charitable organization in Marion. Stay
tuned for more information.
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MarionReachHigher.org
5
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
Welcome New Chamber Members
Member Milestones
Thornbridge Owners Association
Adcraft Printing Co., LLC
309 5th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-363-8275 | www.adcraftprinting.com
KGAN TV
600 Old Marion Road NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 | 319-395-9060
www.cbs2iowa.com
La Cantina
3217 7th Avenue, Marion, IA 52302
319-409-5582 | www.lacantinaiowa.com
Giving Tree Theater
PO Box 11053
Marion, IA 52302
The 1-Year Anniversary of Giving Tree Theater, 752 10th St., was celebrated
with a ribbon cutting before the opening of Harvey.
Chamber Ambassadors helped Lillians celebrate 1 year of keeping Marion fashionable. The shop at 710 10th St. specializes in trendy
& affordable fashion, footwear, accessories & more.
WOW 1 Day Painting, 1461 39th St. Place, celebrated their opening in
Marion. This full-service painting company has an emphasis on minimal
disruption to customers.
Congratulations to Ramsey’s Wine Bistro on their Grand Re-Opening.
Located at 1120 7th Ave., Ramsey’s recently completed an expansion that
doubled their capacity.
Treasure Chest Collectibles
1026 7th Avenue, Marion, IA 52302
319-364-3828 | www.crtreasurechest.com
752 10th Street, Marion, IA 52302
319-213-7956 | www.givingtreetheater.com
LuxAir Aviation, LLC
3405 7th Avenue, Ste 102, Marion, IA 52302
319-329-6002 | www.luxairaviation.com
Heartland Animal Hospital
World Class Graphics and Displays
1003 50th Street, Marion, IA 52302
319-373-8387
www.heartlandanimalhospitalonline.com
883 Shaver Road NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
319-395-0220 | www.worldclassdisplays.com
Mortenson Construction
111 East College Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
319-338-2180 | www.mortenson.com/iowa-city
Ignite Payments St. Louis/Iowa
4020 Green Mount Crossing Drive
Shiloh, IL 62269| 618-726-7514
www.ignitepaymentsstlouis.com
Redlinger Insurance Agency, Allstate
955 29th Avenue, Marion, IA 52302
319-382-3060 | www.allstate.com
WOW 1 Day Painting
1461 39th St Place, Marion, IA 52302
319-389-4532 | www.wow1day.com
Meeting your insurance needs.
Member FDIC
240 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids • 319-247-5721
3905 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids • 319-294-2444
3610 Williams Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids • 319-654-9595
800 11th St, Marion • 319-337-6066
360 7th Avenue, Marion, IA 52302 • 319-377-7321
www.bouslog.com
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MarionReachHigher.org
7
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
Community Support Moves
Alley Project Forward
Thanks to broad
community
support
for
our
ArtPlace
America project, plans
developed by Marion’s
Leadership Team will
soon be implemented
- on schedule and on
budget! In addition to
public funds from the
City of Marion and
Linn County, many private
contributions from local
foundations, corporations,
businesses,
organizations
and families will be
combined in order to bring
this project to fruition by the
end of the year.
Our project area includes
the alleyways between 10th
& 11th Street and 7th &
8th Avenue, as well as small
open spaces within that
block. These areas will be
transformed into public
gathering
spots,
along
with a stage area in the
“Central Commons.” Muchneeded upgrades to the
infrastructure will include
undergrounding the utilities,
installing poles for security
lighting and electrical outlets,
improving the stormwater
management system, and
laying new paving. Central
States Concrete of Marion
will begin the construction
process as soon as the ground
thaws, and complete
their work by the end of
October. With a clean
slate, the artwork can
then be installed.
Marion’s
Artist
Selection
Panel
organized hundreds of
suggestions offered by
community members
during the visioning
process, and synthesized
the most often requested
ideas into a few targeted
projects that serve multiple
purposes. Art installations
proposed by 11 local and
national finalists will include
gateway features, interactive
projects and sculptures.
There will be 2-dimensional
artwork but no painted
murals on historic brick or
masonry walls. Amenities
for pedestrians (most of it
produced by artists) will
include seating, planter
boxes, creative lighting, and
a bike rack. Beginning in
the spring of 2017, residents
can expect to hear about fun
events being planned for the
alleys – so stay tuned.
Upcoming
Events
Wake Up Marion
March 3, 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Farmers State Bank
1240 8th Ave., Marion
BizMix
March 17, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Fairfax State Savings Bank
409 Vanderbilt St., Fairfax
Workplace Wellness
Seminar
March 23, 11 a.m. - Noon
Marion City Hall, Rm. 136
1225 6th Ave., Marion
Wake Up Marion
April 7, 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Guaranty Bank
700 5th St., Marion
BizMix
April 21, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Giving Tree Theater
752 10th St., Marion
Wake Up Marion
May 5, 8:00-9:00 a.m.
YMCA
3100 10th Ave., Marion
Joint Corridor BizMix
May 19, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Kirkwood Regional Center at U of I
2301 Oakdale Rd., Coralville
Marion Arts Festival
May 21, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
City Square Park
New Tool for Small Businesses
A new tool is now
available for small businesses
looking to start up or expand
operations in Marion. In
2015 the City of Marion
and Marion Chamber of
Commerce established a
revolving loan fund (RLF) to
provide assistance to small
businesses within the City
boundaries.
The RLF aims to support
a
diversified
economy
including small, locally
owned businesses in the
retail,
office,
services,
nonprofit, and food markets.
“We are excited to partner
with the City of Marion
and offer this financial tool
specifically focusing on
small businesses. We are
confident it will aid small
business
development,”
stated Jill Ackerman, Marion
Chamber President. “We will
be able to assist in creating
and retaining jobs while as
the same time looking to
redevelop vacant areas and
Blue Zones Project® News
Worksite and Organizational Checklists
Marion continues to a focus on sustainability on the heels of
becoming a certified Blue Zones Community® and will continue
to assist businesses and organizations interested in completing a
checklist. The process helps create an atmosphere that inspires,
encourages, and promotes well-being in the community in which
you live, work and play. Businesses can empower employees to
be happier, healthier and more productive by creating healthier
work environments. Designated worksites are also invited to
participate in round table events designed to keep wellness top of
mind in the workplace.
Get Involved With Gardens
Community gardens can
provide opportunities for
learning, volunteering and
wellness not to mention a
bounty of fresh produce. Last
year the Uptown Community
Garden produced nearly 300
lbs of produce which was
buildings.”
The City of Marion
and
Marion
Chamber
of Commerce Revolving
Loan Fund joins the
MEDCO Revolving Loan
Fund, which is designed
for new or expanding
businesses engaged in the
manufacturing or service
industry (primarily nonretail business), as a resource
available to provide gap
funding for area businesses.
Both funds will be
administered by the East
Central Iowa Council of
Governments
(ECICOG)
who will review all loan
applications and approve
or decline RLF financing.
Dollars are intended to
complement other State
and
Federal
economic
loan programs. Businesses
interested in applying can
view the complete guidelines
and applications at www.
ecicog.org.
donated to the Churches of Marion Food Pantry. With room
to expand, help is needed to build additional raised beds, plant
and tend the gardens. New garden locations have also been
identified in the community but need a sponsor or group to
work with. Consider this volunteer opportunity for your group
or organization.
Upcoming Events
The Marion Hy-Vee Blue Zones cooking classes are back
each month in 2016. This popular class is led by dietitian, Brian
Scheil, and features a menu of 4-6 plant-based items as well as a
wine paring for those of age. Classes are $15 per person and fill
quickly. Classes will be posted on Marion Hy-Vee’s calendar of
events where you can RSVP. For questions, please email Marion
Hy-Vee’s dietitian at 1396Dietitian1@hy-vee.com.
Need a mid-week recharge? Beginning on April 6 (National
Walking Day) and concluding on October 5 (Healthiest State
Walk), the Blue Zones team will host a weekly walking moai at
the Depot in City Square Park. Meet at Noon each Wednesday on
the depot steps for a quick 20-30 minute walk around the Uptown
area.
For more information on any of these opportunities contact
Sara Mentzer with Blue Zones Project Marion at 319-640-6858 or
sara.mentzer@healthways.com.
Marion Leadership in Action
Graduation & Alumni Social
May 26, 5:00 p.m.
High Five Marion
Save the Date
June 8, 2016
For a complete list of Chamber
and community events, visit
www.marioncc.org.
8
MarionReachHigher.org
9
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
Project: Progress
Spring 2016 will be the
start of several construction
projects
throughout
Marion and the Central
Corridor that will be vital
to transportation, economic
development and Uptown
revitalization. As we work to
keep the business community
informed with the progress
of the projects we’d like to
remind everyone of the
importance of supporting
your neighboring businesses
and buying local.
7th Ave.
Roundabout at 7th Ave. & 7th St.,
Central Corridor Project
Street construction and
installation of a roundabout
will begin no later than April
11, 2016 at the intersection
of 7th Ave & 7th St and is
scheduled to be completed
within 120 working days. In
addition to the construction
of the road and roundabout,
this project will include
sidewalk, trail and utilities as
well as new street lights and
signage.
What to expect: The
project has been broken
down into 6 stages; two lanes
of through traffic will remain
at all times but will shift
between the south side to
north side of the intersection
as the roundabout is being
constructed.
Access
to
adjacent businesses will
always be available but will
also shift as permanent
entrances are built.
Watch for information
on public open houses as
construction nears.
Mini-Roundabout at 29th Ave. & 35th St.
Construction of a mini
roundabout will begin no
later than April 11, 2016 at
the intersection of 29th Ave
10
& 35th St and is scheduled
to be completed within 45
working days. The mini
roundabout will replace the
current 2-way stop and will
also install sidewalks, curbs
and streetlights.
What to expect: The
project will be constructed
in 5 stages and will include
some lane closures that
will be marked by a detour.
There will be one shortterm complete intersection
closure while the island of the
roundabout is constructed.
26th St. to 31st St., Central Corridor Project
This project is a public/
private partnership that will
include construction of 6th
Avenue between 26th and
31st Streets including the
roundabout on the former
Marion Iron site that will
connect 6th and 7th Avenues.
Construction is anticipated
to begin Spring 2016. The
schedule will be driven and
determined by the developer
and is expected to last two
construction seasons.
What to expect: This
project has been broken
down into 5 stages. Stage
1 will have no impact on
traffic. Stages 2-5 could
begin as early as the 2016
construction season. Once
the project moves into stages
2-5 traffic on 7th Avenue will
be impacted but will remain
through in both directions.
More information on this
project will become available.
Want to stay
informed?
Sign up for the City
of Marion’s Engineering
Department Project News
distributed via email.
Contact Dan Witlow, Marion
City Engineer, at dwhitlow@
cityofmarion.org or 319743-6340 to added.
ImaginArt In The Alleys
Construction
is
anticipated to begin when
weather allows and is
scheduled to be completed
no later than October 23,
2016. The project will include
infrastructure improvements
to the alleys between10th
and 11th Streets and 7th
and 8th Avenues. Project
construction will include
the installation of new
paving surface, lighting,
and drainage systems. Upon
completion, art and aesthetic
enhancements will be added
to the area as part of an
ArtPlace America grant.
What to expect: Impact
to traffic will be minimal due
the location of the project.
Construction staging on
private property near the
project area.
General Contractor | Design Built
Proud to be
constructing
Legacy’s new
building in
Marion’s new
Industrial Park.
319-362-3221
1619 F Ave NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
MarionReachHigher.org
11
MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
UPTOWN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
SHOWCASE & NETWORKING EVENT
On Thursday, February
25, Uptown Marion hosted
a Commercial Real Estate
Showcase and Networking
Event that brought business
owners,
investors
and
aspiring
entrepreneurs
together to learn more
about exciting opportunities
available in Uptown Marion.
The program began with
opening remarks from the
event’s lead sponsor, Hills
Bank and Trust, which was
followed by presentations
from Main Street of Iowa
(IEDA), the City of Marion
and Giving Tree Theater.
The program focused on
Uptown Marion’s progress,
current assets, and what’s
next for the district.
Following the presentations
was a tour and open house
that highlighted available
properties and current
development
projects
in Uptown Marion. The
event concluded with a
networking reception hosted
by Skogman Realty, which
provided the chance for
further networking and
collaborating to take place.
Available Commercial Real Estate Highlighted
2015 First Place “Best In Show.”
Art Fest Brings a Day of Fun For All
Experience collaborative,
creative merrymaking at its
finest! Join friends old and
new Saturday, May 21st, 9
a.m. – 5 p.m. in Marion’s
City Square Park for the 24th
annual Marion Arts Festival.
The event features 50
nationally sourced visual
artists, along with a range
of hands-on art experiences.
The MAF is free, familyfriendly, come-as-you-are
culture – whether browsing
12
or buying, festival attendees
will experience a wide
range of one-of-a-kind
objects, with the additional
opportunity of getting to
know the artists behind the
art.
Families will enjoy the
festival’s “Art in the Depot”
activity, as pottery wheels
spin toward the creation of
a lasting piece of public art.
Preparations for the “Empty
Bowls” sale have engaged
more than 500 area students
through the creation of
over 1,000 ceramic bowls,
donated to the festival and
sold day-of, raising more
than $87,000 over the
program’s history.
Highlighting the abilities
of college artists, the
“Emerging Artist” program
will present five young
talents selling their work
alongside the festival's slate
of juried exhibitors, while
the MAF’s fundraising half
marathon and 5K runs take
a flat, fast course through
Marion, inviting runners to
experience innovative race
technology features.
In total, the festival offers a
high caliber, fully accessible
cultural experience – a day
of fine art and flips flops,
families and connoisseurs,
fun and education. Named
among the Top 50 fine
art events in the nation in
2015! Presenting sponsor
of the Marion Arts Festival
is Farmers State Bank, with
major sponsor support
from The Gazette, Rockwell
Collins, and the City of
Marion. Full event info
can be found at www.
marionartsfestival.com.
For Lease
For Lease
For Sale or Lease
Coldwell Banker Hedges Realty
Skogman Commercial
Potter Real Estate
For Lease
For Sale
For Lease
Potter Real Estate
Skogman Commercial
Skogman Commercial
1070 7th Ave. | 2,860 Sq. Ft.
725 11th St. | 1,379 Sq. Ft.
1317 7th Ave. | 957– 4,172 Sq. Ft.
1180 7th Ave. | 3,629 Sq. Ft.
1038 / 1048 7th Ave. | 4,740 Sq. Ft.
835 7th Ave. | 3,230 Sq. Ft.
MarionReachHigher.org
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MEDCO • MARION CHAMBER • UPTOWN MARION
2016 Development Projects Highlights
What’s Happinging in the Uptown Marion District?
CDBG Facade Program
Construction on seven Uptown building facades will begin
spring 2016 as part of the Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) Facade Program. Marion was awarded the
$500K CDBG in 2014 from the Iowa Economic Development
Authority (IEDA) to help improve the facades of qualifying
historic buildings.
ImaginArt in the Alleys
Construction on the alleys behind one of our most
prominent historic commercial blocks will begin spring 2016
as part of the ImaginArt in the Alleys project. Marion was
awarded a $350K ArtPlace America Grant to transform the
alley into a public space, focused on placemaking.
Mixed-Use Development
Planning for a mixed-use public/private building will
continue into 2016. To-date, a facility needs assessment and
a cost benefit site analysis have been completed, as well as
several community visioning sessions.
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Open 4 Business Competition
Returning to Uptown Marion
2015 Challenge Grant
In 2015, Uptown Marion was awarded a $55K Main Street
Iowa Challenge Grant for the Cobban-Hervey Building.
Frantz Community Investors, the building owner, will
begin construction spring 2016 on facade rehabilitations,
storefront improvements, and three upper-story apartment
renovations.
7th / 7th Roundabout
Street reconstruction and installation of a roundabout at
the intersection of 7th Ave and 7th St will begin spring 2016.
The project is part of a long term traffic management plan to
balance traffic, increase safety and create a more pedestrianfriendly atmosphere in Uptown.
Uptown Marion is pleased
to announce the return
of the Open 4 Business
Competition. The Open 4
Business Competition was
developed by Main Street
Iowa and the Iowa Economic
Development
Authority,
in partnership with Main
Street communities across
the state, to help provide
local financial and technical
support
for
business
retention, expansion and
recruitment efforts in Iowa’s
Main Street Districts. The
Open 4 Business competition
is an opportunity for you
to receive up to $30,000 in
seed financing and business
support to start or grow your
business in Uptown Marion!
Think Main Street plus
Shark Tank. Applications
are due on May 1, 2016 with
Heather and Richie Akers of Giving Tree Theater accepting their check for winning Uptown Marion’s local Open
4 Business Competition in 2015. The couple went on to win at regionals and came in second place at the state
competition. Altogether, they walked away with $10,500 in seed money to help jumpstart their new venture.
the first round of pitches
to take place May 13, 2016
in Uptown Marion. For
more information and to
apply online, visit www.
UptownMarion.com.
Local Grant Program
Uptown Marion Main Street is currently developing a local Sign and Awning Grant Program for District business and building owners that will be available by fall
2016.
MarionReachHigher.org
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PRSRT STD
U.S.Postage
1225 6th Avenue, Suite 100, Marion, Iowa 52302
PAID
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Permit No. 855