Most towns like to claim they’re experiencing dramatic growth, but Hiawatha Mayor Steve Dodson found a humorous way to encapsulate the city’s progress at the annual Hiawatha State of the City address Aug. 19.
“When people ask me how Hiawatha is doing, I tell them we’re growing so fast, even Google Maps has to keep updating,” Mr. Dodson quipped during the event, which drew a capacity crowd to the new McGrath Hyundai dealership facility in Hiawatha. “That’s a good problem to have, and it means our city is on the move.”
This year’s State of the City event coincided with the city’s 75th anniversary, and Emily Kaiser, board chair of the Hiawatha Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) – the event’s host – noted that connection with the event theme, “Celebrating Hiawatha 75th birthday: Reflecting on its past, present and future.”
“Just last month, we came together to celebrate Hiawatha’s 75th anniversary with a parade, food trucks, music, fireworks and more,” Ms. Kaiser said. “It was not just a party. It was a statement that this city is proud of its roots and even prouder of its future.”
In his remarks, Mr. Dodson noted the city’s progress on addressing its housing needs, including the 196-unit Crossing on Boyson apartment complex, the 40-unit ARRO Senior Apartments, DR Horton housing developments, Heritage Green and the Village Center apartments.
New housing is coming more quickly than expected, Mr. Dodson said. The city is projected to meet its expected need of 430 new homes by 2029, and since 2023, the city has added 379 housing units, including 102 single family-homes, one duplex, one three-plex, nine four-plexes and 236 multi-family units.
In fiscal year 2025 alone, Hiawatha added 27 new single-family dwellings valued at over $10 million and a three-plex worth $600,000.
“These are not just houses, but neighborhoods where people can grow, thrive and stay,” Mr. Dodson said.
Hiawatha has also added many new businesses in the past year, Mr. Dodson said, including the UnityPoint Health PACE Senior Care facility, the Can Shed, Junge Automotive, CertaPro, Pinnacle Realty and Hall Lending Group.
Mr. Dodson also highlighted a 2024 market study that concluded the city now has “the demand and momentum to support a new hotel,” which would be the city’s first, and that city leaders are working to bring a hotel to the city.
So far this year, two new commercial buildings have opened in Hiawatha, containing more than 15,000 square feet and valued at over $5 million, and HEDCO business retention and expansion surveys regularly indicate that business leaders want to expand or modernize in the next two two three years.
“We’ve built a reputation not as just a place to do business, but a place to grow a business, and that’s because of the talent tenancy and support of our local entrepreneurs,” Mr. Dodson said.
Mr. Dodson also highlighted the city’s infrastructure improvements, including the completed Tower Terrace Road interchange and the ongoing reconstruction of the Boyson Road interchange, as well as the ongoing effort to extend Edgewood Road north to County Home Road. He discussed progress on recreational opportunities; Food Truck Fridays, which has drawn up to 100 weekly visitors to the Village Center Plaza throughout the summer; and expansion of the Hiawatha Public Library, including a new community food bank.
The city’s future goals are ambitious, Mr. Dodson said.
“But Hiawatha doesn’t shy away from ambition,” he said. “We meet it head-on with clear plans and strong partnerships. None of what I shared today would be possible without the people in this room and across our community. We show up every day to make Hiawatha better. To our residents, thank you for your ideas, your advocacy and your trust. To our business owners, thank you for investing in our future. To our city staff, council members and volunteers, thank you for your relentless commitment. We’ve accomplished so much, but we’re just getting started. The next chapter in Hiawatha’s story will be written by all of us together.”
Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, also offered remarks at the event.
Ms. Durham discusses the importance of building a business-friendly culture, as well as focusing on quality of life and housing.
“It’s our business model,” she said. “It’s how we approach growth. It’s really simple – It’s about building a business club culture in which businesses can prosper, and that’s taxation, regulatory, workforce, development, infrastructure. But it is equally as important that we focus on the community side of economic development, and that’s all about quality of life and housing and placemaking.”
She also noted that Iowa continues to face a “population problem,” and efforts are being made to attract and retain talent through marketing and infrastructure investments.
“The jobs that we incentivize, the jobs that we recruit, are jobs that pay people living wages,” she said. “It’s about raising the standard of living. We want prosperous businesses. We want vibrant communities, and we want opportunities in which our citizens can thrive. And so how we do that is we follow really a multi-tiered plan, that starts with workforce talent attraction.”
Even with the population and workforce challenges, the state has seen an increase in net migration and population growth, Ms. Durham said, with California and Illinois being significant sources of new residents.
In the manufacturing realm, Ms. Durham stressed the importance of ongoing automation and digitalization in manufacturing, which will increase productivity and job opportunities.
The bioscience sector, particularly pharmaceuticals, is a major focus for Iowa’s economic growth, she said, and Iowa’s insurance and finance sectors continue to grow. The state’s fiscal responsibility and low tax rates are key factors in attracting businesses and talent, she said.
In response to a question about the importance of education in drawing new residents to Iowa, Ms. Durham said the issue often comes up when educators are in the audience at events she attends.
“They’ll say, ‘well, where is education?’” she said. “Education is super important, but it doesn’t become important until (people have) made the decision to move, right? So it’s kind of at the top of the second tier. They’ve said they’re moving, they like Iowa, and it’s all about education, and so then that is important. Iowa has a great education system. I am a big fan of the charter schools … I think we have a strong education system, (state education leaders) are working on math, because we need some help, and they’ve been working on literacy and bringing up our education. I think they’ve done some really targeted initiatives that are going to pay dividends for our students.”
She repeatedly praised Hiawatha’s economic development, housing and community improvement initiatives.
“it is inspiring to be in my position and to see what you’re doing, because you are poised for growth,” Ms. Durham said. “So keep doing what you’re doing. We are here to partner with you.”
