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Grow Fairfield to host panel discussion on housing construction opportunities
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – Grow Fairfield is gathering developers for a meeting on local housing incentives and opportunities.
The lunch and learn, dubbed “Build Fairfield” will be Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will include presentations on housing tax credits, Local Housing Trust Fund, contractor opportunities and builder incentives.
Following the presentations will be a panel discussion with a representative of the City of Fairfield Public Works Department speaking on policy, Martin Brett of Vastu Partners LLC speaking on tax credits, Grow Fairfield Executive Director Ed Malloy speaking on the Local Housing Trust Fund, and Glenn Lyons of Knoxville Economic Development speaking on his city’s development district.
Malloy said one of the main priorities of this event is to educate local contractors on the building opportunities in town, and particularly to inform them of some upcoming opportunities like the new Sunrise Trail Subdivision being developed south of Cambridge Little Achievers, and the City of Fairfield’s infill housing program.
“The second purpose [of the event] is to talk about the incentives for building in Fairfield that are being discussed and defined now with the city,” Malloy said. “Those will include cash incentives and reimbursement for demolition costs, maybe some new development incentives.”
Malloy said some of these incentives are just in the proposal stage and haven’t been adopted yet by the Fairfield City Council, but he wanted contractors to know what programs Grow Fairfield is working on and what could become available soon.
Vastu Partners LLC is responsible for North Campus Village housing development on the north end of town, and is now developing a 37-unit subdivision next door to it called North Campus Ridge. Brett has taken advantage of Workforce Housing Tax Credits available through the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and he’ll share his knowledge of the program on Wednesday.
Lyons will speak about Knoxville’s housing development called the Veterans District. Malloy said Grow Fairfield is using Knoxville’s Veterans District as a template for developing the Sunrise Trail Subdivision.
Malloy said he’s not aware of Grow Fairfield ever hosting an event quite like this before, but it’s clear that local civic leaders regard housing as an important issue.
“We recently completed the five-year strategic plan, and the highest priority in our plan is to encourage new housing development in the community,” Malloy said.
Those interested in attending the event should call Grow Fairfield at 641-472-3436 to register.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
