A pair of grants totalling more than $1.6 million will be used to rehabilitate owner-occupied housing for low-to-moderate income families in Fort Dodge’s Northwest River District as well as to renovate the historic Caldwell Building downtown.

City officials received word on Tuesday that two separate grants from the state were awarded to fund the projects.

The city was awarded $1,508,548 from the Community Development Block Grant’s Comprehensive Neighborhood Revitalization Grant.

According to Vickie Reeck, the city’s community and economic development manager, the grant will be utilized in the Northwest River District for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, as well as for street improvements along Third Avenue Northwest, such as lighting, trees, shrubs, benches and trail construction, and some water system and storm sewer utility work.

“Revitalizing the Northwest River District promises to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents, making it a more vibrant and inviting area,” said Reeck. “These enhancements will foster a greater sense of community, provide residents with a safer environment, upgrade some of our housing stock in the neighborhood, and serve as a catalyst for positive change.”

The $1.5 million award is nearly two years in the making as the city began the application process in November 2022 by submitting an application for $25,000 to have a neighborhood plan prepared. According to Reeck, they were later notified that they had been awarded the grant to create the plan and began working with Snyder and Associates, of Ankeny, to submit the final proposal. In February, five communities were notified that they were selected to move on to the next phase of the grant process. The city received word on Tuesday that it was one of just three communities awarded the funding to implement their neighborhood plan.

“This amount of funding is game-changing for this neighborhood,” said Reeck. “We are excited to invest in this corridor that leads us to the Iowa Crossroads of Global Innovation where billions of dollars are being invested.”

The city also received word that it had been awarded an Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Community Catalyst and Building Remediation grant of $100,000.

According to Reeck, these grant funds will be used to rehabilitate the Caldwell Building, 1101 Central Ave., from top to bottom, including foundation repair, updates to the previous restaurant space, a remodel of the bar space into two commercial spaces, full renovation of the upper story residential spaces, and a new roof.

The Caldwell Building is at the corner of Central Avenue and 11th Street. It once housed Harty’s Caddy Shack Cafe on the first floor. It was built in 1916, according to online records of the Webster County Assessor’s Office.

The Catalyst grant portion of the project must be completed within two years and also requires the city to supply a grant match of $10,000. Project developers have also applied for Workforce Housing Tax Credits that the city anticipates hearing more about in August.

“The developers will be taking a vacant downtown building and rehabilitating it with apartments on the upper floors and commercial space on the first floor,” said Reeck. “The Catalyst Grant award will help the development team complete costly mechanical, electrical, and plumbing improvements necessary to meet code for the safety needs of residents. The overall goal is to breathe new life into this area of downtown by transforming this building. The result will set a new precedent for further renovations of other downtown properties.”

Funding for the IEDA grant was a joint effort between the project developers and city staff. The developers provided necessary documentation for the application, including project funding, budgets, economic and district impacts, building improvements, proposed floor plans, and partnerships, which were all provided to IEDA.

“Fort Dodge is very excited to be working with the developers putting this project together,” said Reeck. “They are finalizing the terms of a purchase agreement with the current owner to secure title to the building. Catalyst is defined as something that causes great change. We are looking forward to the positive domino effect this project will foster and future improvements of our historic downtown.”