Church Street Renovation
Another primary area of focus for GOPIP has been the revitalization of Church Street . According to Roe , it ’ s the only district in Ottumwa that ’ s unwalkable , making crosswalks a top priority . Amenities like garbage cans are also being stressed .
Along with the amenities and safety improvements , beautification has been stressed by GOPIP to draw people to Church Street . Flower pots and artwork are going in to improve the appearance of Church Street . And while Roe acknowledges that there ’ s more work to be done , it ’ s a good start .
“ We just kind of scratched the surface on it , but the ultimate goal is to help rebuild the identity that the Church Street district once had of a thriving business district ,” Roe said . “ The people want to be out walking in , and people want to be out ultimately shopping in that district .”
West End Ignited
The Ottumwa Legacy Foundation is seeing the fruits of the West End Ignited initiative . According to Community Initiatives Manager Andy Maw , the Foundation is providing residents in the corridor with up to $ 5,000 to do exterior upgrades to their home , if they put $ 250 in as well . Business owners are also being allotted $ 1,000 to improve their signage .
So far , eight projects have been completed with nine more underway . Art has also been installed as part of West End Ignited , and as progress continues to be made , more people are buying in .
“ I think last year , the struggle was it seemed like a project that was too good to be true , like you ’ re really going to help us out with this ,” Maw said . “ And I think we ’ ve established ourselves as being credible , and people are really wanting to do the projects .”
Home Base Iowa
Home Base Iowa is working throughout the state to get veterans to settle down in Iowa by promoting community support and incentives to attract service members , along with directing them to job openings .
According to Program Manager Harrision Swift , there are 83 counties on board , including Wapello . In 2023 , Home Base Iowa helped a total 206 veterans and service members find employment and 56 so far this year .
“ The people are nice , the cost of living ’ s low , the traffic isn ’ t terrible like it might be in some big cities ,” Swift said . “ We also have some really cool recreation opportunities for fishing , hunting , that type of thing . So we ’ re just trying to get as many veterans , service members as we can to the state , to at least be here for school or just to visit . Then , after that , we ’ re hoping they ' ll see just how great Iowa actually is and then maybe start contemplating making the move and making Iowa their home .”
GOPIP Investor Directory 2024-25
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