RIO Press Release
| For Immediate Release | Media Contact : |
| October 28, 2009 | Tina Potthoff |
CORALVILLE TO HOST TWO-DAY WORKSHOP ON REDEVELOPMENT OF OLD TOWN AREA
Events take place Nov. 4 & 5
(DES MOINES) – A two-day workshop will be held in Coralville on Nov. 4 and 5 to develop policy options for realizing the community’s redevelopment vision of the Old Town District, which includes the area from 5th Street to Clear Creek and the Iowa River to west of Fourth Avenue, along with the First Avenue and the US Highway 6 Corridors. All were areas impacted by the floods of 2008.
The workshop includes many activities, including listening sessions with stakeholder groups, citizens and community leaders; a tour of the district; and a public workshop where stakeholders and citizens may provide input into policy and design options for the area. The workshop provides an opportunity to create preliminary development concepts through images and drawings for the study area and gain feedback from the community on how to integrate existing policies and new policy options to support the community’s redevelopment vision. The results of the workshop and policy discussions will be shared with the community in the coming months through presentations, displays and newsletters.
The workshop will be led by national experts in land use, transportation and community design to expand the Old Town concept plan to include smart growth approaches, such as improved streetscapes and more compact, mixed-use style development. The workshop will also focus on a larger geographic area beyond Old Town, extending farther west and including greater connections with the riverfront. Public input will be valuable for ongoing redevelopment in Coralville and as a first step towards updating the community plan.
Coralville is one of five Iowa disaster-impacted communities to receive technical assistance through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Smart Growth Program and is offered through a partnership between the EPA, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) and Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED).
The EPA’s Smart Growth Program assists communities desiring to foster economic growth while protecting environmental resources, enhancing public health and planning for development. The workshop will include discussions on policy options for redeveloping the study area in a manner that mixes uses, incorporates a variety of housing options, orients development to pedestrians and mass transit, includes green infrastructure methods for storm water management and meets the needs of the community.
The City and agency partners believe that redevelopment of this area can serve as a national example for disaster recovery through redevelopment strategies that maintain community character and complement existing assets.
Public Workshop Details
| Date: | Wednesday, Nov. 4, 4:30-6:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Coralville Public Library Conference Room, 1401 5th Street |
| Purpose: | Present overview of the project and goals, present Old Town Coralville Master Plan 2009; gain feedback on how to integrate policy options to support revitalization of the study area and broadening plan to larger area. Please contact Ellen Habel at (319) 248-1700 with questions about the Coralville workshop. |
EPA, FEMA, RIO and IDED have partnered to support similar activities in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and New Hartford. Funding for these projects is provided by EPA and FEMA. The smart growth assistance will build upon the recovery plans developed with the assistance of FEMA’s Long-Term Community Recovery team and the RIO in the fall of 2008.
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