City doubles down on Block building

FORT MADISON – The James Block building is going to get some more city funding to try to preserve the historic building for future development.
At Tuesday’s regular Fort Madison City Council meeting, the council voted 6-0 to invest another $270,000 in the building to get it a new roof and shore up a deteriorating wall.
The funds will come from a $100,000 state emergency catalyst grant, a $100,000 low interest loan for a local match for the grant from the Southeast Iowa Housing Trust, a $25,000 DNR grant, and $45,000 from the city.
Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld directed city staff to come up with an option for the best place for the city to come up with the $45,000. That could come from the building department nuisance remediation fund, the general fund, or possibly Hwy. 61 funds, which Mohrfeld estimated had about $2 million in it.
City Manager Laura Liegois said those funds have a lot of pressure on them with work still to be done.
City Building Director Doug Krogmeier and Liegois recommended spending the money on the property to give it additional life and try to get it in the hands of a developer.
City Councilman Matt Emmett said the council had to move forward with the building, in that scenario with the premise in mind that now the taxpayers of the city are investors in that building and deserve a return on that investment.
“We have to be ready... to say this is not a knick-knack shop. This has to be something that pays the taxpayer back,” Emmett said.
Mohrfeld went a step further saying future development of the building should be something “that moves the needle for revitalization.”
Councilman Rusty Andrews agreed with Emmett that the development has to be a substantial investment now that the city’s in for almost $500,000.
“Yeah, you can't turn around and let it go for pennies so someone can put it back on the tax rolls for $500 a year.”
City Manager Laura Liegois said Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission is helping the city with a request for proposals for the project and what it could look like for the downtown.
Barb Asay, a member of the city planning and zoning committee and redeveloper in Fort Madison said the city really hasn’t done a solid job in trying to sell the building to anyone. No one disputed Asay’s comments, but the city is now up against a May 17 deadline to cut a check for some work or risk losing the $100,000 catalyst grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
According to a report from Liegois and Krogmeier, the city has spent $192,813 on the building as of May 1. Leigois said the city had applied for a $350,000 grant from the EPA for environmental remediations and upgrades to the building, but due to the federal government’s efficiency efforts, that grant program has been rescinded and all applications have been forfeited. She said Fort Madison’s grant proposal was in review with the agency at the time of the announcement.
Krogmeier said Schickedanz Construction has agreed to do the work for that price. He said the bid is very favorable to the city, and owner Mark Schickedanz is just trying to help the city out at the price.
In other action, the council:
• approved a partial payment for the Fort Madison airport pavement rehabilitation project.
• approved a 3-year lease agreement with Fort Madison Rodeo Corporation for the Summer Roundup Concert Series and heard a brief update on the program from Tri-State Rodeo Chairman Bobby Holtkamp.
• set a public hearing on amending the city ordinance on fireworks on July 3, 4 and Dec. 31 per new Iowa code. The hearing was set for Tuesday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m.
• held a discussion without action on how to move forward with city finances going forward. Mayor Mohrfeld said the real savings is, unfortunately, going to have to come from a reduction in services. New property tax overhauls are still working their way through the Iowa Legislature this year.