In partnership with the City of Emmetsburg, public school, hospital, community college, and private property owners, Emmetsburg Community Development Corporation (ECDC) and the Five Island Trail Corporation are working to develop a new concrete trail, just under one-half mile in length, linking the Emmetsburg Middle School/High School to the Iowa Lakes Community College campus. The trail will connect to existing sidewalks at the Emmetsburg Middle School/High School and Iowa Lakes Community College.

The Five Island Trail Corporation submitted a grant application to the Wellmark Foundation's Built Environment MATCH (Matching Assets to Community Health) grant program and was awarded $100,000 for the project. The grant requires the community to provide a 100% local match by August 16, 2023.

During the City's community-wide strategic planning process, continued trail construction was identified as a top priority, and connecting the Emmetsburg Middle/High School to the Iowa Lakes Community College campus via pedestrian/bike trail was identified as a specific action item. At the City Council and Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees meetings this week, the City Council and EMU Board each approved contributions of $10,000 for the School to School Connection project. 

ECDC is working with the Five Island Trail Corporation to raise the remaining funds required for the Wellmark grant and for the completion of the project. Tax-deductible donations (payable to payable to Emmetsburg Community Development Corporation or ECDC) may be dropped off at Emmetsburg City Hall, 2021 Main Street, or mailed to Emmetsburg Community Development Corporation. 

    ECDC
    Attn: School Trail
    PO Box 417
    Emmetsburg, IA 50536

Check out more information about the project in this today's Emmetsburg Recorder-Democrat, or visit www.emmetsburg.com/school-trail.

The City of Emmetsburg is undertaking a construction project to improve Lake Street from US Highway 18 to the railroad tracks south of 12th Street. The project includes construction of sanitary sewer, watermain, and storm sewer along with new concrete paving construction. Driveway aprons and miscellaneous sidewalk improvements will also be constructed during this project.

Competitive bids for the work were received on April 5, 2023, and the project was awarded to Reding’s Gravel & Excavating from Algona, Iowa. In addition to their own staff, Reding’s will employ several subcontractors for the project. Construction began earlier this month and is tentatively scheduled to be completed by October 27, 2023. As of June 27:

• All tree and stump removals are complete
• The contractor anticipates pavement removal and underground utility construction to begin after July 4th
• Residents and businesses shall park vehicles on adjacent side streets and/or the City-owned parking lot at the northeast corner of Lake Street and 11th Street. If you need special accommodations for accessing your property, please call Bolton & Menk.
• 10th Street crossing Lake Street will remain open to traffic to the greatest extent possible throughout the duration of construction
• The City has coordinated with the Post Office and their drop-off bin will be temporarily relocated to the alley to the east during construction

A website is available to provide updates and information about the Lake Street project going on in Emmetsburg this summer: http://bit.ly/lake-street-reconstruction. On the website, you will be able to sign up for email or text notifications with project updates. Newsletters and email updates throughout the project will be provided through this website. This website is also a great resource for residents to get information on what to expect during construction! A link to the website can also be found on the City of Emmetsburg’s website.

It is important to note that information and scheduling might change due to weather and unforeseen issues. We will do our best to keep you up to date with the construction progress and changes. Bolton & Menk is the City’s engineer for the project. They will act as an extension of City Staff in monitoring construction work and interacting with the contractor daily. Should any questions or concerns arise during the construction process, please contact the Bolton & Menk’s representatives listed on the project website.

The City of Emmetsburg participated in the Community Visioning program through Iowa's Living Roadways in 2021. During the process, four main projects were identified and explored including (1) Community Connections, (2) Broadway Boulevard, (3) Mural Park Enhancements, and (4) Harlan Park Transformation. Concepts for each were developed and then presented to the public during a design workshop. Based on the community’s feedback, the drawings were refined and design boards were developed. 

Since Mural Park received so much positive feedback from the public and is in a highly visible location within downtown Emmetsburg, the Community Visioning Committee has prioritized the "Mural Park Enhancements" concept plan for fundraising and grant writing.

The first phase of the concept plan is to complete a large patio patio. The patio will sit in the southwest corner of Mural Park (located on the north side Main Street/Hwy 18 between The Archery Shop & Range and Stowell Insurance). The patio will be approximately 1,500 square feet. It will be constructed of permeable pavers to allow storm water to infiltrate the pavement and drain into the ground rather than run off into storm drains.  A large chess/checkerboard pattern will be inset into the patio to provide an engaging outdoor activity space. The new patio will allow the city, Chamber, community groups, and residents/visitors to host events in a public space downtown. Additionally, community members will have a space to sit and enjoy nature close to downtown restaurants and businesses. 

Future Mural Park plans include adding a canopy/pergola structure to create the illusion of a stage area or "outdoor classroom", commercial-grade string lighting to allow for evening use, garden beds and new trees to enclose and shade the space, wall murals, and large mural boards at the back and side of the park (similar in structure to the Five Island Lake mural on Broadway commissioned by the Palo Alto Arts Council).

Interested in joining the Emmetsburg Community Visioning Committee? We'd love to have you! Please contact Gretchen Reichter at greichter@emmetsburg.com or 712-852-2067.

• July 8 - Firemen's Golf Tournament
• July 29 - Men's Open
• August 4 - Horse Race Calcutta
• August 6 - Horse Race Tournament
• September 17 - Booster Club Tournament

Thanks to grant funds from the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation (PACGDC) awarded to the City of Emmetsburg, Harrison Park now has a brand new pickleball court. 

Wondering what grant projects the City has planned for this year? Stay tuned for our next newsletter!