Tagged: Facade Improvements

The building destroyed during a weekend fire in downtown Fort Madison was in line to be part of a multi-million dollar redevelopment project.

Local contractors will handle a majority of the upcoming improvements to downtown Fort Madison.

The city secured a $500,000 state grant to improve the facades of 13 buildings.  The property owners will contribute another $170,000 to the project.

The city chose to seek bids per category of work as opposed to going project by project so one contractor would handle all windows and doors while another would do the masonry, for example.

Aldermen are reviewing whether to alter the Facade Forgivable Loan Program based on recommendations from the City Council's Community Development Committee.

One proposal is to increase the city's share of the costs for facade improvements from 50% to 66%.

“That would mean if somebody had a $30,000 project, they could get $20,000 of that from us and $10,00 of their own money. If that's not incentive enough to put on their best face, I don't know what else we can do,” said Seventh Ward Alderman Clay Hinderliter.

Other recommendations include:

Fort Madison’s downtown district will receive a makeover this summer.   The city received a $500,000 state grant to help pay for façade improvements for thirteen buildings. 

The grant will cover 70% of the cost of the project with the building owners picking up the remaining 30%.

Fort Madison Main Street’s Executive Director Mary Ottoson says the façade improvements are currently in the design phase.

She says the project should go out for bid in early July.  Each phase will be bid in a way that one contractor will handle all of the painting or masonry, for example.