Projects in Emmetsburg and Clarion are both receiving $300,000 from Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Downtown Housing Grant Program, part of the governor’s $100 million investment to increase the supply of housing options and protect and expand opportunities for Iowans to live in or near the communities where they work. The funds are made available through the Federal American Rescue Act.

This grant awarded $20 million to 61 communities with populations of 30,000 and below, which will create 466 new homes for Iowans.

Clarion

The project in Clarion is for an upper story conversion at 204 Main St. and will create four new apartments. According to Wright County Assessor data, the building was purchased by Kevin and Jeanne Kist in 2017.

-Submitted photo
The upper story of 2117 Main St. in Emmetsburg is undergoing a massive conversion project to build four apartments. The project received a $300,000 downtown housing grant from the state to help fund it. The building is owned by Justin and Abby Burns, of Emmetsburg.

According to Clarion City Administrator Clint Middleton, a developer was interested in doing a project to not only remodel the storefront portion of the building, but also take what is currently open space on the upper floor and turn it into apartments.

“So that’s why we were 100% behind it to get some housing, especially housing in the downtown area,” Middleton said. “It’ll be a huge benefit to Wright County itself.”

Built in 1893, the building has been vacant for several years. It was last the home of a hardware store in the early 2000s.

“We’re very excited about that particular project, because it is a large storefront in downtown Clarion,” Middleton said. “The fact that it was a storefront and was not being utilized for retail of any sort really, it was a project that we wanted to go after so that was great.”

Middleton said Wright County Economic Development is in the process of doing a housing study to determine more housing needs and opportunities.

Emmetsburg

The project for Emmetsburg is for an upper story conversion at 2117 Main St. and will create four new apartments.

“All communities in Iowa really are struggling to meet the need for housing in all areas, whether it’s rental or owner-occupied,” said Emmetsburg Marketing and Retail Coordinator Gretchen Reichter. “So we, like everybody, need more housing units.”

The building was built in 1880 and was originally a Masonic Temple up until the 1970s, Reichter said. Until Justin and Abby Burns purchased it in 2017, it sat mostly empty during those decades.

“Now because of this grant, it’s really going to have a new life,” Reichter said.

Reichter said the city partnered with the Burns to apply for this grant.

On the ground level of the building, the Burns own and operate Burns Chiropractic and The Archery Shop and Range.

“The upper story is pretty large,” Reichter said. “It’s a double storefront and then the building extends pretty far back, depth-wise.”

During the application process, Reichter secured $3,000 in grant funding through the Iowa Rural Development Council’s Power of Connection Program, which enabled the city and property owners to hire an architecture firm to develop a detailed, two-phase upper story floor plan.

The first phase of the project will create one two-bedroom apartment, two one-bedroom apartments and one studio apartment. Reichter said the second phase of the project will eventually add another two apartments.

The total cost of the project in Emmetsburg is estimated to be between $450,000 and $500,000. Work will begin this summer.