Uptown Marion Wins Two State Awards for Placemaking & Housing Projects

Uptown Marion Wins Two State Awards for Placemaking & Housing Projects

Main Street Iowa hosted the annual Main Street Iowa Development Awards celebration April 21, 2023 at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. The program honored the efforts of those who work tirelessly to revitalize Iowa’s downtowns – the heart and soul of communities across the state. The awards honor outstanding accomplishments, activities and people making a difference in the state’s Main Street districts.

Uptown Marion received the award for best Main Street Housing Project for the Broad & Main building at 1101 7th Avenue. The project revitalized an under-utilized strip mall into urban housing and vibrant commercial bay storefronts, realigned with 7th Avenue. The housing units more than double the amount of housing in the Uptown District and are expected to have an economic impact of $1M for the local economy. Project honorees include Uptown Main Street, Marion Chamber of Commerce, City of Marion, Marion Economic Development Corp., Eagle View Partners, DCI Group, Shive-Hattery, and Genesis Equities.

Uptown Marion also received the Main Street Comprehensive Placemaking Award for the 7th Avenue Streetscape & North Plaza Project. Already an award-winning project through the American Planning Association in Urban Design, the Uptown streetscape features unique gathering spaces for events and thoughtful design with a nod to history. The project enhanced the above ground features of the streetscape but also went above and beyond to work with the building owners on features such as upgraded water lines, fire suppression systems, and ADA accessibility. Project honorees include Uptown Main Street, Marion Chamber of Commerce, City of Marion, Anderson Bogert, RDG Planning and Design, and Rathje Construction.

Uptown Marion Main Street submitted City of Marion Assistant Engineer, Jacob Hahn, for the Uptown 2022 Main Street Leadership Award. “Uptown Marion has been under construction for the past two years. This project would not have been possible without the leadership, attention to detail, and professionalism exhibited by Jacob Hahn as lead engineer on the project. Jacob made it a priority to inform and involve all partners, working closely with the Main Street program, building and businesses owners to make it a success,” stated Uptown Director, Brooke Prouty. Unable to attend the event, a cardboard cutout of Jacob accepted the award from Debi Durham, Executive Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority, and Michael Wagler, Main Street Iowa State Coordinator.

“The Main Street Iowa program is a powerful economic development tool that has stood the test of time since its introduction in 1985,” Durham said. “We continue to see significant growth in businesses, jobs, and investment in communities of all sizes because of the program. As a result, these districts serve as inspiring examples of what’s possible for Iowa’s downtowns.”

“Main Street is grassroots economic development,” Wagler said. “It is inspiring to witness the impactful work of local Main Street program staff, volunteers, and community partners.”

Uptown Marion Main Street submitted 5 nominations for this year’s award categories:
• Main Street Business Recruitment Project – The Shops at West End
• Main Street Business Support Project – ShoPIN Marion Event
• Main Street Housing Project – Broad & Main
• Main Street Placemaking Project (Small Scale) – Marion Community Peace Tree
• Main Street Placemaking Project (Comprehensive) – 7th Avenue Streetscape & North Plaza

A full list of award winners can be found at the Iowa Economic Development Authority website here: iowaeda.com/UserDocs/News/2023-msiawards_winnerslist.pdf