marion
is the construction of theTower Terrace Road Bridge over Indian Creek.That is about a $10million project andwe still are trying to garner regional and state dol- lars tomake it happen.At this point,that portion is still unfunded. “We’ve had somezoning changes in the area to provide for restaurants and other establishments to have extended hours of operation ina residential area.So there’s somedevelopment coming in,aswell. “Whencompleted,TowerTerraceRoadwill providea major east-west arterial across thenorthernpartof the CedarRapidsmetroarea.Weareworkingwithour regional partnersandthe IowaDepartmentofTransportationto fundthe interchangeat Interstate380.” BVM: You also talked about theMarionAirport,which had been privatelyowned.Has it changed hands? TREHARNE: “The Cityof Marionworkedwith a private sector firm to acquire the runwayand fixed-base operations building.The airport operations,charter ser- vices,flight training,fuel sales,andmaintenance opera- tions remain private.The city’s involvement has opened up some funding opportunities.We’ve received two grants from the State of Iowa–one for the completion of anAirport Layout Plan and the other for somezoning and land use planning around the airport.We’ve also applied for and are hoping to receive dollars for runway improvements.” BVM: You alsomentioned that “the acquisition of the airport opened the door for the development of 68 acres of commercial ground, east of the site.”Has that area been prepped for development? TREHARNE: “The area surrounding the airport is developing; it’s more of an industrial area.We recent- MARION, IOWA TOM TREHARNE A Proud Partner in Growth for the City of Marion • Green Infrastructure • Site Remediation and Redevelopment • Regulatory Assistance Cedar Rapids | Iowa City | Muscatine 800.553.9694 stanleyconsultants.com ly announced a major expansion of LegacyManufacturing.The company is going from a 100,000-square-foot building that just opened about two years ago, and building a 200,000-square- foot addition. It has been a great project for the city.They’ll have the largest building in the community when it’s complete.” BVM: The Prospect Meadows Ball Fields is a 17-field baseball and softball complex on 128 acres,with a “Miracle Field” spe- cially built for people with disabilities.That’s got a $14 million price tag.How’s it going? TREHARNE: “This is another project that will be transfor- mative and position the community as a destination for sports tourism.Organizers continue to make progress and are working to meet fundraising goals.We anticipate breaking ground in the spring.” BVM: You also spoke proudly of Marion’s trail system.Any updates? TREHARNE: “We like to say all trails lead to Marion.We have
Made with FlippingBook
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx