(Des Moines) Corning and Guthrie Center were two of ten communities across the state awarded Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants.
The grants help rehabilitate underutilized downtown buildings to stimulate economic growth and further investment in Iowa’s historic main streets.
Corning – $100,000 Grant (Total Project Cost $537,520).This project will rehabilitate a historic building to house a health-focused grocery store, addressing local demand for fresh, wellness-oriented foods. The project will create new jobs and serve as a model for improving food access in rural communities.
Guthrie Center – $50,000 Grant (Total Project Cost $120,000). This project will restore a vacant historic building with a renewed brick façade, new windows and doors, updated systems and a refreshed interior. The finished space will be ready for a future tenant, supporting reinvestment and renewed activity in the downtown core.
The grants are administered through IEDA’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs. The funding will be distributed to the selected projects in the form of matching grants to their local Main Street programs. The estimated total cost of the 10 projects is nearly $3.6 million.
