Gov Kim Reynolds was taken to the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower Thursday morning for a bird’s eye view of projects that have received state funding in the past several years and to hear updates and highlights of current projects.
Chris Deal was host and local point of contact for the visit.
At the top of the tower the governor was reminded the bell tower received the 2021 Iowa Tourism Award. An $87,000 state Community Attraction and Tourism grant in 2016 was an important piece of fundraising to complete the full carillon. Pat Richards told the governor of the wide variety of visitors to the bell tower and pointed out the rooftop art that can be seen from the bell tower’s observation deck.
Peg Raney described the efforts of the Why Not Us investor group to bring the Centennial Building at 100 E. State St back into use as a tea room. The project has received a $75,000 Main Street Challenge grant for the restaurant and upper story housing. She also described the work done to redevelop upper story housing in the building owned by Prairie Lakes AEA.
Amanda Bills updated the governor on work at the Public House restaurant in the former Ace Hardware store. The project received a $75,000 Main Street Challenge grant and state historic tax credits.
The Greene County Early Learning Center received a $469,941 state Childcare Challenge grant for its new, larger facility. Jacque Andrew updated the governor on that project.
Sid Jones pointed out housing initiatives in the downtown area including the Whitehouse Apartments on S. Wilson Ave, recipient of a $130,960 state workforce housing tax credit, and the upper story renovation above Gravitate, for which Greene County Development Corporation received an upper story housing grant. He also told Reynolds of the Three Block Project and Nate Adams’ plan for converting the historic Jefferson High School into housing.
“You forget how amazing it is,” Reynolds said about the view from the top as she left the bell tower for the short walk to Gravitate, a new co-working space in the 200 block of E. State St. There owner Geoff Wood talked about the role coworking space can play in attracting entrepreneurs to Jefferson.
Dr Joel Lundstrom of Des Moines Area Community College and John Hansen of Iowa Central Community College provided an update on their programs in computer software development. Those programs could lead students to apprenticeships at The Forge in Jefferson.
Deal complimented the two community colleges for working together to build a technology component in rural Iowa’s workforce.
Deal said he hoped the various speakers and sights had reminded the governor that “when state dollars come here, not only do we leverage them… We make things happen.”
She called Jefferson an example of rural revitalization and said she was glad to see workforce housing and daycare getting attention. “I appreciate all you’re doing here,” she said.
Information compiled in preparation for Reynolds’ visit showed that since 2013, projects in Jefferson have been $1,445,941 in state grants and another $1,067,513 in historic tax credits. Total value of those projects has been nearly $9 million.
Reynolds’ visit was open only to invited guests and credentialed members of the media.
