Cultural and Entertainment District unveiling ceremonies announced
CEDs in Cedar Rapids, Elkader, Pella, Perry and West Des Moines to receive signage
For Immediate Release February 12, 2007
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today announced its schedule for unveiling signage and formally recognizing Iowa’s newest Cultural and Entertainment Districts in Cedar Rapids, Elkader, Pella, Perry and West Des Moines.
Now in its third year, the CED initiative is designed to boost economic development through the arts, history and culture.
A CED is a well-recognized, mixed-use area of a city anchored by a high concentration of cultural attractions. The initiative encourages city and county governments to partner with local nonprofit or for-profit organizations, businesses and individuals to enhance the quality of life for the people of Iowa. Benefits available to each CED could include tax credits for rehabilitation of historic structures and other incentives that create living and work space for cultural workers, cultural and entertainment enterprises, and access to financial assistance programs from state agencies and other funding partners.
CEDs attract residents and visitors who support adjacent businesses such as restaurants, lodging, retail and entertainment. The presence of arts and cultural opportunities enhance property values, the profitability of surrounding businesses and the tax base of the region. These districts attract a diverse and well-educated workforce – a key incentive for new and relocating businesses. And these districts contribute to the creativity and innovation of a community.
A variety of businesses and organizations can be found in a CED, ranging from museums and gourmet food stores to dance studios and arboretums. CEDs offer a number of additional benefits to a community, including safer and more attractive areas that offer evening events, promote cultural activities, attract arts and cultural organizations, expand employment opportunities, connect the arts and culture to community development, increase understanding of different cultures, strengthen ties between different cultures and ethnicities, and expand and support small businesses.
Iowa is the second state in the country to implement a plan to certify Cultural and Entertainment Districts. DCA has also certified CEDs in Ames, Cedar Falls, Charles City, Cherokee, Clinton, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fairfield, Iowa City, Keokuk, Marion, Mason City, Muscatine, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo.
Following is the CED sign unveiling ceremonies and local contacts:
Historic Valley Junction Cultural and Entertainment District
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007
9:30 a.m.
West Des Moines Human Services Building
318 Fifth Street, West Des Moines
The Historic Valley Junction Cultural District is centered on historic
5th Street from Vine Street to Railroad Avenue. The Historic Valley Junction
Cultural District includes Phenix Early Childhood Center, the central business
district, single family homes, unique stores and restaurants, art galleries
and independent businesses. As one of Central Iowa’s most unique attractions,
Historic Valley Junction has been a Main Street community since 1987. Contact
Jim Miller at 515-222-3642 for more information.
Strawtown Cultural and Entertainment District
Old Pella Cultural and Entertainment District
College Cultural and Entertainment District
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007
11 a.m.
Vermeer Windmill Interpretive Center
714 E 1st Street, Pella
(Corner of Franklin and East First)
Pella’s 3 newly certified Cultural Districts includes arts,
historic and cultural organizations, city government and businesses. Brinkhoff
Park at the corner of Washington and East 6th Street provides a dramatic entrance
to the west end to historic Old Pella. The Strawtown Cultural district includes
the Washington Street corridor, which provides visitors with a welcoming,
beautiful and historic entrance to the Old Pella Cultural District at the
city center. The Old Pella Cultural District features many of Pella’s
most significant historic structures and the original site for the town. The
College Cultural District includes the culturally vibrant Central College
as an integral part of the Pella arts and entertainment experience. Contact
Tilly Woodward at 641-780-5215 for more information.
Elkader Cultural and Entertainment District
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007
3 p.m.
Opera House
207 North Main Street, Elkader
With 9 National Register Historic Sites, Elkader is the marketing
and governmental center of Clayton County and is home to more than 170 business
offering more than 65 unique services to residents and visitors. The district
includes a lively downtown with restaurants and shops, a first-run movie theater,
a restored opera house and numerous recreational opportunities that include
canoeing, fishing, “tater” races on the river, hiking trails and
scenic spots along the riverwalk that connects downtown and the city park.
Other features include the 1889 Keystone Bridge – the longest arched
span west of the Mississippi River – and gift shops, including the restored
Bayless Hotel that has 3 floors of consignment crafts and furnishings. Elkader
was honored by Main Street Iowa with the Great American Main Street Award
in 2001. Contact Roger Thomas, Executive Director, Main Street and Elkader
Development Corporation, at 563-245-2770 for more information.
Perry Cultural District
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007
1:30 p.m.
Carnegie Library Museum
1123 Willis, Perry
The Perry Cultural District includes the downtown business district
and Pattee Park. The district is home to a wide variety of entities, businesses
and non-profit organizations that offer diverse cultural offerings to visitors,
potential residents and new businesses. Perry will use the certification to
recruit artists and creative business to relocate to the area, focus on the
preservation of buildings in its downtown historic district and promote the
area as a tourist destination. Contact Wendy Goodale at 515-465-4601 for more
information.
Czech Village/New Bohemia Cultural District
Friday, March 2, 2007
3 p.m.
CSPS Hall
1103 3rd Street, SE, Cedar Rapids
The Czech Village/New Bohemia Cultural District in Cedar Rapids includes
a vibrant cultural community centered on the historic Czech Village on the
west side of the Cedar River and the New Bohemia area on the east side of
the river. The Cherry Building, in the center of the New Bohemia district,
has been renovated and houses dozens of creative enterprises from photography
studios to jewelers. The CSPS Hall on Third Street SE is one of the most innovative
performance spaces in the Midwest, and Legion Arts has hosted nationally-known
recording artists, and painting and sculpture exhibits. The African-American
Museum & Cultural Center of Iowa is in the New Bohemian neighborhood,
and the Bridge of Lions links New Bohemia and Czech Village, the original
home of the city’s largest Czech population and current home of the
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Contact Timothy Boyle at
319-398-5009 for more information.
More information about the CED program can be found on-line at www.culturalaffairs.org or by contacting Jack Porter of the Department of Cultural Affairs at 515-242-6152 or jack.porter@iowa.gov.
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is responsible for developing the state’s interest in the areas of the arts, history and other cultural matters with the advice and assistance from its two divisions, the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Arts Council. The DCA preserves, researches, interprets and promotes an awareness and understanding of local, state and regional history and stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts and public interest and participation in them. It implements tourism-related art and history projects as directed by the general assembly and designs a comprehensive, statewide, long-range plan with the assistance of the Iowa Arts Council to develop the arts in Iowa. More information about DCA is available at www.culturalaffairs.org.
