Estherville Area Growth Partnership Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO FACILITATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, TO RETAIN AND EXPAND THE EXISTING BUSINESS BASE AND ENCOURAGE NEW ENTREPRENEURIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ENDEAVORS THAT BENEFIT ESTHERVILLE AND EMMET COUNTY.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES IN A POSITIVE WAY. CONSTRUCTION ON PHASE 1 OF OUR NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK HAS STARTED. IT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2022. THERE WILL BE AVAILABLE SIX INDUSTRIAL LOTS THAT ARE 1 TO 3 ACRES IN SIZE, WITH ONE LARGE LOT THAT IS 10 ACRES. CONSTRUCTION OF UTILITY AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS HAVE STARTED AND WILL BE FINISHED IN SPRING 2022. A STARTUP BUSINESS THAT WOULD MANUFACTURE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN LOCATING ON THE 10 ACRE LOT. IT WOULD EMPLOY 50 PERSONS. NO COMMIT YET TO LOCATE HERE. PHASE 2 OF OUR NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK IS PLATTED AS ONE OUT-LOT 18ACRES IN SIZE. ITS INITIAL GRADING IS BEING COMPLETED BUT STREETS AND UTILITIES WILL NOT HAPPEN UNTIL PHASE 1 BEGINS TO FILL WITH NEW BUSINESSES. WE LOCATED WAREHOUSE STORAGE SPACE FOR THREE INDUSTRIES SEEKING THAT SPACE TO STORE EXTRA INVENTORY THAT WAS ORDERED BEFORE IT WAS NEEDED SO IT WAS IN-STOCK TO OVERCOME THE PARTS SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.

HOUSING CONTINUED TO BE IMPORTANT TO OUR MISSION. WITHOUT ADEQUATE HOUSING, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR INDUSTRIES TO ADD NEW JOBS. A NEW 64 UNIT THREE STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX HAS STARTED CONSTRUCTION NEAR OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. WE ASSISTED THE DEVELOPER WITH FINDING THIS SITE. WE ALSO ASSISTED WITH SECURING ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY OF ESTHERVILLE AND FROM THE STATE OF IOWA. IT WILL BE COMPLETED IN APRIL 2022. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING 2ND FLOOR HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN 2 STORY BUILDINGS WITH RESTORATION WORKING BEGINNING THIS YEAR IN ONE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BUILDING. OTHER SIMILAR DOWNTOWN PROJECTS ARE BEING CONSIDERED. WE TALK TO OTHER TOWNS AND THE STATE OF IOWA WHO HAVE SUCCESSFUL HOUSING PROGRAMS TO SHARE, WHICH HELPS WITH OUR EFFORTS. EFFORTS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE HOUSING EXTERIORS TO IMPROVE THE LOOK OF HOUSING THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. WORK CONTINUED ON IMPROVING OUR MUNICIPAL HOUSING CODE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN OUR HOUSING SURVEY.

HELPING EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES SUCCEED AND RECRUIT NEW BUSINESSES TO ESTHERVILLE IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL, A NEW LOCALLY-OWNED PHARMACY OPENED (2020). THIS NEW BUSINESS ALLOWED TWO YOUNG PHARMACISTS TO MOVE BACK TO ESTHERVILLE ( EACH BORN AND RAISED HERE) TO OWN AND OPERATE THE NEW PHARMACY. WE HELPED HEARTLAND TECHNOLOGY START AND GROW HERE, AND RECENTLY MOVING INTO A MAIN STREET STORE FRONT TO BETTER SERVE THEIR CUSTOMERS.THERE ARE VACANT COMMERCIAL LOTS LOCATED IN PRIME AREAS THAT WE AND OTHERS OWN AND ARE BEING MARKETED FOR SALE TO NEW BUSINESSES ATTRACTED TO TOWN OR TO EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO GROW.THESE WOULD ALLOW NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION WHICH WOULD HELP EXPAND THE PROPERTY TAX BASE. PLUS WE IDENTIFY EXISTING BUILDINGS IN COMMERCIAL AREAS AND PRESENT THEM TO EXISTING AND NEW BUSINESSES IN ESTHERVILLE FOR POTENTIAL EXPANSION. WE HAVE HELPED HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BRICK BUILDING OWNERS WITH RENOVATION EFFORTS FOR STREET LEVEL BUSINESS AND 2ND FLOOR HOUSING. AN EXAMPLE IS THE OLD CITY HALL AND FIRE STATION BUILDING, CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.