Glenwood Downtown ReVi Project Expected To Be Completed This Summer

The ongoing Downtown Revitalization project on Glenwood’s Town Square is expected to extend into the summer months. 

City officials had hoped the approximately $1.2 million project would be completed this spring, but a letter from Mayor Angie Winquist to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on Tuesday night’s city council agenda requested the project completion deadline be extended from June 30 to Sept. 30. The letter was initially on the council’s April 28 agenda, but tabled until last night’s meeting.

The letter states, “Four of the eight buildings in the project are substantially complete. Those include 424 and 426 First Street, 409 E. Sharp, and 411 E. Sharp. 4 and 6 N. Walnut are very close to being completed, with minor finishes left.

“Two of the eight properties in the program were found to have significant structural issues during demolition. 14 N. Walnut and 11 N. Vine are those properties. A structural engineer was hired to assess both buildings. Due to the delay during that process and the extensive nature of the deterioration of the buildings, the project is taking longer than expected to complete.”

Addressing the matter at the April 28 council meeting, Glenwood City Administrator / Finance Director Mitch Kolf said the extension is being requested to ensure the city and the last property owner to have their work completed are both properly reimbursed.

“The primary driver for this request is the delivery schedule for some custom-manufactured windows for the property at 11 N. Vine St.,” Kolf said, noting the latest delivery date for the windows could be June 27. If that were to happen, the documentation (invoicing) process wouldn’t be completed in time to meet the June 30 deadline.

“That would leave the city and property owner on the hook for those expenses, which isn’t fair to that property owner who waited for work to get done on other people’s properties. And, it’s also not fair to the city to foot that entire bill.”

Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, administered through the IEDA and Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), are funding 50% percent of the Downtown ReVi project in Glenwood. The city is kicking in 25% and owners of the eight buildings included in the project are paying the remaining 25%.

A document posted on the IEDA website states, “The Downtown Revitalization Fund provides grants to communities for activities contributing to comprehensive revitalization in historic city centers or core downtown areas. The program is primarily focused on building façade improvements to privately owned buildings in downtowns.”

Glenwood was awarded a grant in 2023. Actual construction began in 2024 with invoices being submitted through the city on a regular basis as work has progressed on each property.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees and allocates funds for the CDBG grant program. Under HUD guidelines, the property owners participating in the Glenwood Downtown ReVi program aren’t allowed to make improvements or renovations to the interior portion of their building until the entire project is complete.

Julie Kalambokidis, one of the property owners participating in the program, voiced concerns to the city council in April about the project deadline being extended to September, noting the restrictions on making interior improvements while the project is still on-going.

“I really don’t want to have to wait until September,” she said.

Council member Christina Duran shared similar concerns about the extension.

“The folks that are being penalized at that point are the project owners that can’t get in to do the work to open up their businesses to start making money.,” she said.

The city has been asked to request that property owners be allowed to complete work inside their buildings before the project is completed, but it’s unlikely the request will be granted.

“They told us most likely no, but our IEDA project rep will take any specific requests to HUD to ask,” Kolf stated in an email.
Kolf said it’s possible the project will be completed before September, but the extension was recommended by the IEDA and to serve as a “buffer” to allow time to tie up loose ends on the project.

“If the project is completed before then, they won’t use the 90 days,” he said. “The contractor doesn’t want to be in Glenwood any longer than he has to. He’d rather be done today. I don’t think anyone is trying to delay the project.
“The other property owners have all had work done on their buildings,  this (last) property owner has waited patiently until now.”