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Facades face change

Grant to cover half of project costs

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The 1100 block of Central Avenue is one of the spots where building facade improvements are planned using money from a state grant awarded in July 2019. Harty’s Caddy Shack Cafe, 1101 Central Ave., is one of the buildings that will receive upgrades.

Ten downtown Fort Dodge buildings will get a new look thanks to a contract, paid for mostly with grant funding, that was awarded by the City Council on Monday.

Cornerstone Commercial Contractors Inc., of Corning, will renovate the facades of buildings in the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Central Avenue. Some buildings on North 10th Street, North 11th Street and South 11th Street will also get upgrades.

The company will be paid $867,500 for the work.

Kris Patrick, the executive director of Main Street Fort Dodge, told the council that she expects the work to begin in three to four weeks.

In July 2019, the city received a $500,000 downtown revitalization grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority for the project.

The grant will cover 50 percent of the costs. The city government will cover 25 percent of the costs through tax increment financing, and the property owners will contribute the remaining 25 percent.

These buildings are slated for improvements:

• 1000 Central Ave. (Little Joe’s Computers)

• 11 N. 10th St.

• 15 N. 10th St. (Brass Monkey Lounge)

• 1018 Central Ave.

• 1020 Central Ave. (Sew Formal)

• 16 N. 11th St. (Fireside Lounge)

• 1101 Central Ave. (Harty’s Caddy Shack Cafe)

• 7 S. 11th St.

• 1104 Central Ave.

• 1108 Central Ave. (Mary Kay’s Gifts and Home Decor)

The council approved the contract unanimously with no discussion.

Cardinal Construction, of Waterloo, submitted the only other bid of $1,495,000.

In an unrelated matter, the council approved the first reading of a measure to rezone 5.6 acres along North 32nd Street north of the Rosedale Rapids Aquatics Center. The measure, which must be approved twice more by the council, would change the property from an agricultural designation to a residential single-family zone.

The property is being rezoned to prepare for potential construction of a child care facility, according to a report to the council from the city’s Development Services Department.

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