Four Linn County designated Main Street Communities will be receiving $50,000 in economic development support from Linn County, the Linn County Board of Supervisors announced today.
Central City Mainstreet, Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street District, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group – a Main Street Iowa organization, and Uptown Marion – a Main Street Iowa District, have received a total of $50,000 to be used for projects and programming that support local business and create tourism.
The funds will be split up among the four organizations that manage the Main Street programs in their respective communities, with $10,000 of the economic support to be used to create a statewide marketing campaign to raise awareness and encourage tourism to Linn County.
“We are all so thrilled to be working together to make Linn County a better place to visit and do business,” said Ashley Zierath, spokesperson for the four-community group. “All of us who work and volunteer in these four great communities appreciate that the Linn County Board of Supervisors both sees the economic impact our organizations have on Linn County, and supports further development with this financial support. This funding is a clear vote of confidence in Main Street from our Linn County Board of Supervisors.”
Linn County is the only county in Iowa to have four designated Main Street Iowa communities. In 2015, the four Linn County Main Street communities recorded a total of 23 net new businesses and 65 net new jobs, with more than $4.1 million dollars of building rehabilitation and construction.
“We have long been aware of the economic impact the Main Street Iowa program has had on Linn County,” said Ben Rogers, chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors. “Each of these programs regularly offer Linn County clear, quantifiable results in new small businesses, job creation and economic impact. We are pleased to offer our continued support.”
Since 1986, Iowa’s 56 local Main Street programs have made a significant impact on Iowa’s economy realizing a net gain of more than 13,000 new jobs; a net gain of more than 4,400 business starts, expansions and relocations; and more than $1.6 billion private dollars invested into local Main Street districts. As a grassroots program, Main Street communities have contributed more than 2.9 million volunteer hours in local revitalization efforts.
About Main Street Iowa
In 1985, the Iowa Legislature adopted the National Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach® to district revitalization by establishing Main Street Iowa within the agency that is now the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Since inception, the state program and its communities have been considered examples of excellence in the national effort to revitalize historic commercial districts across the country. For more information about Main Street Iowa and how all Iowa communities can access commercial revitalization assistance through the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, visit www.iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/MainStreetIowa , email [email protected] or call 515-725-3051.