Three projects in Spencer, Shenandoah and Linn County were awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants by the Vision Iowa Board Wednesday.
Vision Iowa spokesperson Jessica O’Riley says the largest award, $850,000, will help finance an expansion of the Wickiup Outdoor Learning Center located near Palo. The center is run by the Linn County Conservation Board. The total project cost is just over $3.6 million.
A $200,000 Vision Iowa grant will help remodel an existing building in downtown Spencer for the Clay County Heritage Center. “The current 9,000 square foot facility that exists will be expanded into nearly 11,000 square feet,” O’Riley said. “It will provide additional space for displays, archives, and collection and research of historical artifacts in Clay County.” The entire project is expected to cost $1.12 million.
The Vision Iowa Board also awarded a $410,000 grant to the Shenandoah Public Library. The project involves renovation of existing library space and construction of a new 2,500 square foot addition to expand the children’s section and allow the library to become ADA compliant.