LCEDG and SIREPA agree to sell Montrose center

RESPONSIBLE STEP

SIREPA and LCEDG made this investment together because we believed in its value to Lee County, and that partnership remains strong. Selling the building is a responsible step that lets us put these resources to work where they will do the most good for the community.”

Mike Hickey, SIREPA Board chair

MONTROSE – The building that currently houses the Lee County Economic Development Group will be for sale in the near future. And LCEDG operations are likely to move across Hwy. 61 into the former Dollar General building.
The Southeast Iowa Regional and Economic Port Authority held a board meeting Wednesday where it was decided to put the Montrose facility up for sale. SIREPA  purchased the building in the summer of 2021 with the intent of collaborating with LCEDG to create a career center in Lee County. The group authorized Administrator Mike Norris to start looking for a real estate agent to help facilitate the sale of the building and grounds.
In May 2025, LCEDG moved the Career Advantage Center to Keokuk’s SCC campus due to that facility being better equipped to manage programming for the CAC. At that point, LCEDG shifted to a focus of childcare and applied for a Congressional appropriation through the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development to create a countywide, collaborative preschool for 3-year-olds in conjunction with the three public school systems in the county.
Initially, the program was targeting 55 child care slots.
The HUD appropriation, secured through Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ annual program, was to help fund renovations to get the child care center off the ground.
SIREPA Administrator Mike Norris said Wednesday that won’t be impacted.
“The HUD money isn’t location specific, it’s portable," Norris said.
"We’ve done (Community Development Block Grants) for private day cares before. Their approach is, here’s your money, it’s going to go to a spot and, wherever that spot is, you go through the process.”
The appropriation is currently in the HUD portal and Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, who administered the grant for SIREPA, is currently working through that new process to prepare to access the funds.
In the meantime, plans for LCEDG and a possible co-located childcare facility turn to the former Dollar General.
“That’s just going to be a more sustainable property. Operating costs will be less.  It’s right-sizing," he said.
According to a release from LCEDG President Emily Benjamin, the facility has served more than 3,500 students at the Montrose building through hands-on career exploration experiences, helping them discover local career paths and the employers who offer them. “That work will continue. The Career Advantage Center concept is alive and well, and its programs are now taking place on the Southeastern Community College Keokuk campus, where students and employers are already being served. LCEDG will continue working with area schools and employers to provide valuable career exploration experiences for Lee County students,” she wrote. 
“The Career Advantage Center was built on a simple idea: students should see real careers up close before they make decisions about their future. That idea is not going anywhere. Thousands of Lee County students have had hands-on experiences in this building, and those programs are continuing at SCC Keokuk. We are grateful to the donors, schools, employers, and partners who made this possible, and we are excited to give LCEDG a permanent home that fits our work.”
SIREPA Chairman Mike Hickey said the partnership between the two organizations is still strong.
“SIREPA and LCEDG made this investment together because we believed in its value to Lee County, and that partnership remains strong. Selling the building is a responsible step that lets us put these resources to work where they will do the most good for the community,” Hickey said.
LCEDG’s Board of Directors voted to support the sale at its September meeting, and SIREPA’s board approved taking steps to sell the building today. Additional details will be shared as they are finalized.