A year of renovations for City of Kalona

    The year 2010 ended just before the City of Kalona could put the finishing touches on its $3 million downtown enhancement project. The downtown enhancement project was one of many renovation projects undertaken by the city in the past year. Much of the project is already done, including all of the major infrastructure. The city streets in the downtown area were replaced, which includes B Avenue from Fourth Street to Sixth Street, and from A Place to C Avenue.

    The city installed new sanitary lines and a storm sewer line between avenues B and C. Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh reported that the sidewalks in the downtown are 95 percent complete, and will be finished in the spring. Kalona has new street lights, too. The fixtures were made in a 19th century style, but the power of the lights themselves is wholly of the 21st century. The new lights are LED (light emitting diodes) which Schlabaugh says are much brighter than the old lights. The downtown also sports new benches, trees and trash receptacles.

    One of the only pieces missing from the downtown puzzle is the slate of 38 quilt blocks that go on the sidewalks. The city put a ?skim coat? of concrete over the holes where the blocks will go, which will be dug up in the spring when the blocks are ready.

    The contractors have until April 15 to install the quilt blocks and until June 1 to finish the entire downtown enhancement project. 

    The quilt design that will be on the blocks will not be painted on but will be made by using different colors of bricks that are cut to shape and later put together to create the desired pattern. The quilt blocks will be 6 feet long and 6 feet wide. Apart from the 38 blocks to be installed in the downtown, four others will be placed outside noteworthy locations such as the library, the historic village and City Hall.

    Local business owner Lori Mostek hatched the idea for the quilt blocks during a meeting of the downtown revitalization group. Kalona residents often call the city the ?quilt capital of Iowa.? With that in mind, Mostek suggested that the city incorporate quilts into its downtown renovation. The other members of the revitalization group liked the idea, and soon it was written into the plans.

    The renovation of the municipal swimming pool was another major project in 2010. Schlabaugh said that workers sandblasted the surface of the pool down to the concrete, where they filled in holes. They repainted the pool, put in new flooring and added a concession stand. The city also eliminated the kiddie pool and repaired the lighting. 

    The city worked with Environmental Health Director Jeff Thomann to fix the pool?s prior chlorination problems. The pool received a new chlorination system, which Schlabaugh said worked well during its first year. He said the $50,000 investment in the pool this year was well worth it ? memberships increased 75 percent in 2010.

    City employees received upgrades to their facilities, too. The offices in the City Hall were remodeled this past year.

    ?We took out walls and reclaimed space from the Mid-Prairie school,? said Schlabaugh. ?We put in a utility room, too.?

For more, see our Jan. 3 print edition.