The Vision Iowa Board approved three grants today that will benefit the communities of Algona, Mediapolis and Morning Sun. Vision Iowa Board Chair Andrew Anderson says the grants, which total one million dollars, are contingent on fundraising efforts in the towns.
“All three projects this month involve small communities that have really stepped up and have really been able to fundraise and make things happen in their community,” Anderson said after today’s meeting in Waterloo. The project in Algona involves a $4 million expansion to the Family YMCA.
“The exciting thing about them is they’ve been working on this project for quite a number of years and they’ve actually raised over three million dollars privately to build what they have now and continue the expansion of the project,” Anderson said.
The Vision Iowa Board awarded Algona a $700,000 grant for the rec center, which will include an indoor swimming pool. Mediapolis will receive a $100,000 Community Attraction and Tourism Grant for construction of a $2.6 million swimming pool.
Anderson says the Vision Iowa Board has been criticized for awarding money to pool projects. “What I’ve always pointed out to people that have that criticism is that, for those communities, it’s a very sexy project because it’s a project that’s used by all the kids in the community. In Mediapolis, they’ve raised nearly $1.3 million for this project. That’s pretty good for a small town, so we want to support them and help them improve their community,” Anderson said.
The Vision Iowa Board awarded a $200,000 grant to Morning Sun for a community center and art gallery. The nearly one million dollar project will feature oil paintings by Morning Sun native Lora Rock.