Riverside looks to revitalize downtown

RIVERSIDE — Riverside city council members weighed several initiatives intended to spruce up the downtown area of the northeast Washington County town during a meeting Monday night. The agenda included several items related to a Community Development Block Grant application, one of which designated a collection of buildings as a “slum and blight area.”

The city expects that the declaration of such an area, encompassing 11 buildings around the intersection of Washburn Street and First Street, will help it qualify for downtown revitalization funds through a state community development block grant.

"It’s a realistic thing we need to say, that this is an area that hasn’t been taken care of, that needs some work,“ City Administrator Cole Smith said. ”The hope is, at the end of this, many of our issues have been addressed and it will no longer be a, ‘Slum and blight area,’ … I think it’s important to be honest with yourself, and not letting pride get in the way of progress.“

The grant, if it’s approved in January, would require matching funds, which the city plans to split about evenly between its own casino revenue fund and property owner contributions.

That works out to about $315,000 chipped in by the city. While smith said municipal officials had initially budgeted only $200,000 to throw behind the project, rising costs of materials and higher-than-anticipated interest by downtown property owners brought the number up.

A consultant’s assessment of the area last year found 10 of the 11 buildings in “blighted” condition, according to a city report. At Monday night’s meeting, Smith said nine of those had owners interested in revitalization projects.

“We do have the funds available to be able to make that contribution,” he said at the meeting. “I think when it comes to these casino funds that we have, looking for ways to further leverage these and make sure they have a larger impact than just the dollars themselves is always important to consider.”

A memo shared with council members before Monday’s meeting said the city’s casino revenue fund had over $179,000 of unallocated money for the year, putting the $115,000 addition well within reach.

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While it’s still a lot of cash from the town of just over 1,000 residents, City Council Person Tom Sexton said the improvements would be worth the investment.

“The work that can happen on these buildings could take them into another century, hopefully. If we get these buildings spruced up, who knows what commercialism can happen down there, and tourism possibly coming in,” he said. “I hate to see funds going out that can’t be used for the general public of residents in town, but I think, in a roundabout way, it will.”

The sum brings Riverside’s ask up to the $650,000 maximum request for downtown revitalization CDBGs from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Smith said building owners had been given checklists of exterior improvements by a consultant company. The options include everything from facade improvements to window and door replacements to signage updates to new roofing to tuckpointing.

If the grant is approved, the city’s goal is to address at least half the items on those lists, according to Smith, who said construction would begin next summer and last roughly through 2025.

“It’s really focused on the outside appearance of buildings, bringing those — I’m going to say — in line with original design, while also maintaining modern functionality,” Smith said.

Community members are optimistic about the potential impact of the grant, if it gets the green light. One building owner thanked council members for the effort personally, during a public comment section of this week’s meeting.

Washington Economic Development Group Executive Director Mary Audia said the improvements would be a massive boon.

“The ongoing pandemic, increasing urbanization, and aged infrastructure have all put a strain on existing resources for rural towns,” she said in an email. “It’s an exciting time for Riverside and will be a big boost to their vitality and economy.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com