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Fairfield hopes second try is successful for Main Street Iowa application
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FAIRFIELD – Members of a steering committee are crossing their fingers that Fairfield will be announced as a Main Street Iowa Community this year.
Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mendy McAdams said the committee tried and failed to join Main Street Iowa last year, but they’ve bolstered their application with new information this year based on the feedback they received from the Main Street Iowa board. If Fairfield is successful in becoming a Main Street Community, it will create a new office with its own director who can focus all their energy on improving Fairfield’s downtown.
McAdams said the Main Street Fairfield director would have an office inside the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s building at 204 W. Broadway Ave. To ensure that the organization is here for the long-term, and so that the director can focus on the downtown instead of worrying about fundraising, Main Street Iowa requires that towns have money to pay the director for three years when they join. McAdams said that means raising $75,000 per year.
“We want the Main Street director to get to work and not have to worry about money,” McAdams said. “They will be in the chamber office because we as a chamber feel this position is vitality important to the downtown.”
McAdams said that Main Street would help with updating city ordinances that affect the downtown, such as the city’s sign ordinance or a vacant building registry.
McAdams said that one piece of feedback Fairfield got last year for why its application was denied was that it had not secured enough multi-year donations, so it’s working on that this year. She said an anonymous donor has already come forward to promise $20,000, and challenged the city, chamber, Grow Fairfield and Fairfield Visitors Bureau to match that amount.
Main Street Iowa is going through a transition with a new director, so it’s not doing its normal round of applications this year. Instead, it is only taking applications from towns that were rejected last time. McAdams said she’s learned that means only three towns are eligible this year, and one of those is not re-applying and the other one is not sure, so she feels Fairfield’s chances are good.
McAdams said Fairfield should know if it’s been selected by July or August, and will then hire a director to start in the new role by November.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
