The City of Marion, Marion Economic Development Corp. (MEDCO), the Marion Chamber of Commerce, and Uptown Marion Main Street District are issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to redevelop the former Marion Public Library site at 1095 Sixth Ave. in Marion.
The entities, collectively known as Team Marion, are issuing the RFP to identify private developers and development teams interested in redeveloping the site.
The site is owned by the city of Marion and located in the core area of Uptown Marion, a Main Street Iowa District.
The former library building at 1095 Sixth Ave., which was built in 1996, was heavily damaged in the 2020 derecho, resulting in the loss of about 20% of the library’s collection. The city’s new, $18 million Marion Public Library, just east of the former library facility at 1101 Sixth Ave., opened to the public in November 2022, and the former library building was demolished this spring.
The former library site has primary frontage on the Sixth Avenue corridor, and the Grant Wood Trail passes along the northern edge of the site, providing future connectivity to the regional trail network.
According to a release, Team Marion envisions a privately-owned building or complex of buildings with a mix of commercial and residential offerings that make the biggest impact for this anchor parcel.
Officials say the redevelopment should represent the character of the community and the history of the site. The project should also complement the historic nature of adjacent properties while enclosing the Uptown District’s retail loop.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. at MEDCO’s office at 1107 Seventh Ave., Ste. 201, in Marion. The meeting is being held to review the RFP, clarify the city’s expectations, and answer questions from potential development partners. Attendance is not required.
Interested developers can review the RFP in detail at www.cityofmarion.org/publicnotice. Proposals are due no later than 3 p.m. Jan. 12, 2024.
Questions may be directed to MEDCO president Mark Seckman via email.
