The city of North Liberty is seeking a $1 million grant from Enhance Iowa’s Community Attraction and Tourism program to assist in building the Centennial Center, a 13,000 square foot, $8.8 million facility that will host public and private events. At the Oct. 5 Enhance Iowa board meeting, representatives from North Liberty presented the board […]
The city of North Liberty is seeking a $1 million grant from Enhance Iowa’s Community Attraction and Tourism program to assist in building the Centennial Center, a 13,000 square foot, $8.8 million facility that will host public and private events.At the Oct. 5 Enhance Iowa board meeting, representatives from North Liberty presented the board of directors with a PowerPoint presentation outlining plans for the Centennial Center and amphitheater, with updates on the fundraising progress.Centennial Park, located at 1565 St. Andrews Drive in North Liberty, is undergoing a massive, $16 million expansion. Called the Next Stage campaign, plans include a pavilion, event center and splash pad. The project is being compartmentalized in four phases, with the first phase being the Centennial Center and amphitheater.So far, the city has requested grants from the following businesses and organizations:
$500,000 from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation
$50,000 from Procter & Gamble
$250,000 from Casey’s
$2.4 million loan with 0% interest through a partnership with South Slope Telephone Cooperative, which has access to the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program
Community initiative
In addition, the city also raised $2,400 from a Murder Mystery event, and is inviting the public to invest in the project by purchasing site features such as picnic tables, seat blocks and bike parking, with a goal of raising an additional $300,000.
“While we're out there looking for the big opportunities, we're also working locally and know that incrementally, it's going to take everyone to make this project happen,” said Ethan Pitt, VP of Community Initiatives and Ripple Effect program director of Iowa Area Development Group.“We're also working on some other grassroots efforts like a restaurant week where restaurants would participate and contribute a certain amount of sales.”The board decided to table the discussion and make a decision at its next meeting Nov. 2.The CAT program assists communities in the development and creation of multiple purpose attraction or tourism facilities, which can help position a community to take advantage of economic development opportunities in tourism and strengthen a community's competitiveness as a place to work and live. The Centennial Center has an estimated completion date of summer 2025.
