Iowa City businesses get a boost with CoSign+ program

Iowa City has been recognized as one of the top 50 best places for families to live in the U.S., according to a recent analysis by Fortune. The city secured the No. 24 spot on the list, thanks to its blend of education, healthcare, and creativity. It’s a place residents can be proud of and visitors enjoy frequenting, said Jenny Olson, MidWestOne Bank’s second vice president of community engagement, which is why the financial institution regularly contributes to the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD), an organization dedicated to enhancing the downtown district, the city’s jewel. Each year, MidWestOne contributes $10,000 to help sponsor ICDD’s CoSign+, a program of the National Sign Museum that provides local businesses the funds to enhance their storefronts and design signage. “One of MidWestOne’s big commitments is supporting our communities, specifically the businesses in our community,” said Ms. Olson. “So we thought this was a great partnership with the (Iowa City) Downtown District when they proposed it to us, and it was just an obvious good fit.” The turn-key placemaking neighborhood revitalization program launched in 2016 when the National Sign Museum chose six communities nationwide as beneficiaries, Iowa City being one of them. Betsy Potter, ICDD’s executive director, said MidWestOne “jumped on board right away” when approached with the opportunity to partner together and bring CoSign to the community. “They’ve been a pillar of the community so long,” she said. Since then, over 80 Iowa City businesses have benefited from the program, including Prairie Lights bookshop, Molly’s Cupcakes, Daydreams Comics, Hamburg Inn No.2, Scout’s Honor, Camp, and Giddy Up, to name a few. Josh Immerfall, one of ICDD’s board of directors and owner of Scout’s Honor, Camp, Giddy Up, Goldfinch Tap + Eatery and Donnelly’s Pub, said programs like CoSign+ are a tremendous help to new businesses trying to attract customers. New signs can cost upwards of $10,000, he said. “It's advertising for business, it's bringing people in,” Mr. Immerfall said. “Most of the signs you're seeing are the blade signs, which are attracting pedestrians and things like that. Obviously, signage helps the community come together. It helps visitors have an understanding of what things are and where they are, and also adds legitimacy to these small businesses that are attempting to always grow (the) bottom line.” It’s something MidWestOne is passionate about, said Ms. Olson, because the bank got its start in Iowa City in 1934. “We're celebrating our 90th anniversary this year,” she said. “Business is an important part of our bank, and we want to nurture those relationships from a business perspective as well. But obviously (we) just want to support the community as a whole, and businesses are so important to the community. We want to make sure that these businesses stay downtown and that people want to come down.” Approved applications receive a 50% match for projecting signs up to $3,500, and storefront enhancement applications receive a 50% grant match up to $2,500. The grants are awarded on a “rolling basis” until funds are depleted, and awardees have six months to complete the project. Storefront enhancements can include awnings/canopies, take-out windows, window transparency, and lighting, and interested businesses can apply for both projecting sign and storefront enhancement grants through ICDD’s website at https://downtowniowacity.com/do-business/cosign/.