(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council approved Resolution No. 38-26, authorizing the bid letting for the West 15th Street Extension Project and setting a public hearing for August 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
The street extension will support a new light industrial facility planned by Jim LaPorte, owner of Mudslayer Manufacturing. LaPorte proposed constructing a 13,920-square-foot building that will serve as the assembly location for parts produced at two other Iowa facilities. Mudslayer Manufacturing produces the Mudslayer Portable Mud System, a product used in water well drilling.
The new building will be constructed west of Sunnyside Lane, east of Southwest 7th Street, behind Hoffman’s new veterinary care center. The future address is expected to be either 1501 or 1503 W. 15th Street.
The project is contingent upon a development agreement and a minimum assessment agreement that will finance the extension of West 15th Street. The existing roadway currently serves the Tolton building, the Atlantic Community School District building, and the Mediacom facility. The extension is estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan during its June 9, 2026, meeting. The Personnel and Finance Committee also reviewed the proposed development agreement and tax increment financing (TIF) plan on June 23 and recommended moving the project forward.
According to city officials, the street extension will be financed through tax increment financing within the Southwest Urban Renewal Area. The city plans to use an internal loan from the General Fund, which will be repaid through future TIF revenues using a graduated principal repayment schedule and an interest rate tied to the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield.
City Administrator John Lund said the timing of the project is significant because completing it before Jan. 1, 2027, allows the city to continue capturing the school district’s general levy within the TIF district, helping offset the financial impacts of Iowa Senate File 2472.
Lund also reported that the city’s bond attorneys, John Janos and Amy Bjork, were preparing the necessary documents to incorporate the project into the city’s Urban Renewal Plan. City officials said those proceedings would not affect LaPorte’s planned construction schedule.
In other business:
*The City Council approved Pay Application No. 2 for the Atlantic Municipal Utilities CDBG Clearwell Project in the amount of $51,020.
*The Atlantic City Council approved a temporary parking restriction request from the Cass County Fair Board to help manage traffic during the 2026 Cass County Fair. Parking will be prohibited on Palm Street from Seventh Street to the dead end south of 10th Street, as well as on both sides of 10th Street extending 150 feet west from Palm Street. The temporary restrictions will be in effect from 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, through 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 26. The council has traditionally approved the fair board’s annual requests for temporary parking restrictions and traffic control measures to promote public safety and maintain an orderly environment around the fairgrounds.
