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Iowa City, Iowa, Hosts Events to Redevelop Riverfront Crossings District

Release Date: 11/09/2009
Contact Information: Belinda Young, (913) 551-7463, young.belinda@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 9, 2009) - Iowa City, Iowa, will host a series of public events on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Friday, Nov. 13, to begin plans for the redevelopment of the city's Riverfront Crossings District. The district was impacted by flooding in 2008, and is bordered by Burlington Street to the north, Iowa Highway 6 to the south, Gilbert Street to the east, and the Iowa River to the west.

Local officials will be joined by representatives from EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) and Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) to discuss options with the public.

All events will be at the Johnson County Human Services Building, 855 Dubuque St., Room 203, Iowa City, Iowa. Scheduled public events include:

· Public Kickoff Presentation, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
· Community Open House, Friday, Nov. 13, Noon to 1 p.m.
· Public Workshop, Friday, Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The events include public listening sessions, a walk-through of the district, and an interactive visioning and design session where stakeholders and citizens will provide input on redevelopment options for the district.

The city and its partners believe that redevelopment of this area can serve as a model for other cities in Iowa and the midwest as they seek to use smart growth principles for redevelopment.

Iowa City is one of five Iowa disaster-impacted communities to receive technical assistance through EPA’s Smart Growth Program, offered through a partnership between EPA, FEMA, RIO, and IDED.

For detailed information about the public workshop and events, contact Karen Howard at 319-356-5251.