Iowa City Downtown District plans to expand SSMID borders

The Iowa City Downtown District is looking to expand its Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) borders, a move that would encompass the  University of Iowa Health Care Downtown Campus at 500 E. Market St. “This allows the UI hospital to be in the ICDD and provides the ICDD with the opportunity to help direct any changes to the Northside neighborhood,” according to the nonprofit’s website.

The proposed border would also expand south of Court Street and east to Gilbert Street, including downtown businesses adjacent to the railroad tracks. The proposal, part of the SSMID’s 2026 renewal petition, was unveiled during the ICDD’s annual State of the Downtown meeting, held May 21 at the Iowa City Senior Center. A SSMID is a designated area within a city where property owners agree to assess themselves a tax to fund revitalization efforts within that specific area. Every 10 years, the SSMID is renewed by downtown property owners through a petitioning process. The Downtown SSMID expires June 30, 2026. According to the 2026-20236 renewal petition, property owners will be assessed up to $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value during the first seven years, increasing to a maximum of $2.75 per $1,000 for the final three years. “Renewing the SSMID will enable us to continue delivering the services that keep downtown clean, vibrant, and welcoming for all who live, work, play, visit or invest in downtown Iowa City,” ICDD executive director Betsy Potter said, in a statement. The border expansion “will allow us to extend services, programs, and advocacy efforts to more parts of downtown,” she added.

The 2025-2031 Strategic Plan

Between August 2024 and March 2025, the ICDD began a strategic planning process in preparation for the SSMID renewal. According to the plan, the next five years will see an emphasis on economic vitality; place management; leadership, partnership, and coordination; and organizational infrastructure. To reach the goal of a “thriving downtown economy fosters a balance of business, university, arts and cultural activities, as well as residential and public spaces,” the strategic plan has four objectives for economic vitality, according to ICDD’s website:

• Enhance downtown’s economic accessibility and desirability as a place to live, work, and visit.
• Development and redevelopment that proactively elevates downtown’s economy and character – with emphasis on high impact properties and attractor businesses.
• Support the local arts and culture economy as the most creative place in the Midwest, including artists and downtown arts and cultural venues and events.
• Collect and leverage data to support and inform economic development.

For place management, the strategic plan aims to maintain Downtown as “the most vibrant sense of place in the region” in several ways:

• Curate a finite portfolio of high- quality events that are intentionally targeted toward specific outcomes.
• Increase downtown’s walkability and approachability – increasing foot traffic and promoting parking and transportation options for downtown users.
• Continue to improve community perceptions and leverage downtown’s brand identity.
• Sustain and grow ambassador services.
• Sustain intentional, inclusive, and interactive placemaking.

To create a coalition of “community, city, university and regional leaders continue to shape a vibrant, safe, and inclusive downtown,” the leadership, partnership and coordination facet of the plan aims to continue downtown advocacy, increase ICDD’s impact through local partnerships and make UI Health Care’s Downtown Campus an active member of the Downtown District. The strategic plan’s emphasis on organizational infrastructure will:

• Increase overall funding by 15%.
• Strengthen board engagement, perspectives, and participation in organizational leadership.
• Increase and allocate operational and advocacy capacity focused on strategic priorities.
• Reinforce ICDD’s role as an independent, community-based nonprofit organization.

Downtown received 9.5 million visits in 2024

During the State of the Downtown meeting, ICDD also released its annual report, detailing highlights from the past year. In 2024, Downtown saw 9.5 million visits from 1.2 million people, a 3.3% increase from the previous year. The most visits – 84,320 – took place on Sept. 7 during the football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones, “higher than any other home football game weekend,” the report stated. In 2023, the highest number of visitors in one day was 70,000 on Aug. 26, the first day of University of Iowa’s academic calendar.

In 2024, the Downtown District made a significant investment in strategic campaigns to support local businesses, with an emphasis on offsetting the impact of the Dubuque Street reconstruction. In July, it introduced a gift card program to encourage consumers to patronize the affected businesses. For every $150 spent, patrons earned a $20 ICDD gift card. According to the report, $128,709 worth of ICDD gift cards were sold, at a redemption rate of 68%. The nonprofit also launched locatedowntowniowacity.com, a new economic development website created in collaboration with the City of Iowa City to attract prospective businesses, and designated May as Legacy Business Month, celebrating downtown businesses that have been operating for over 20 years.

One year anniversary of Downtown Iowa City Ambassadors

A significant new service line introduced last year was the Downtown Ambassador Clean & Safe Program. The program, managed by Block by Block Management Systems, “aims to elevate cleanliness, hospitality, and public safety in the downtown business district and parking garages,” the ICDD website states.

Since its launch June 3, the program has:

• Conducted 1,051 biohazard clean ups
• Collected 191,041 pounds of trash
• Made 314 business contacts
• Provided 11 safety escorts
• Conducted 47 welfare checks

“Their presence has made a marked difference in the vibrancy and welcoming nature of our district,” Ms. Potter wrote, in the report. That same month, ICDD also launched the Downtown Dish podcast, a revival of the AM-800 KXIC radio show by the same name in the early 2000s.