A project nearly a decade in the making has received a major financial boost.
The City of Larchwood has been awarded $1 million through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Community Attraction and Tourism program to help construct a new community center.
The fully accessible facility will contain 18,825 square feet and replace Larchwood’s aging Recreation Center. The existing building was constructed during the 1950s and originally served students from Larchwood Public School and St. Mary School before being converted into a recreation center.
Facility Will Serve Community and Regional Events
Plans for the new center include a multiuse gymnasium surrounded by an eight-foot-wide walking track, along with fitness and aerobics rooms, a kitchen and a community room.
The gymnasium could accommodate a full-size basketball court, two volleyball courts or three pickleball courts. It could also be converted into space for as many as 38 vendor booths during craft fairs and other community events.
The facility is intended to support recreation, youth programs, tournaments and other activities. The IEDA says the center will also position Larchwood, a community of fewer than 1,000 residents, to host regional events and attract visitors from nearby Minnesota and South Dakota.
Plans also include approximately 100 off-street parking spaces, electronic key-fob access and enough space east of the building for a possible future park.
The proposed facility would be constructed in the Northern Acres addition on the north side of Larchwood. The location was selected after city officials reviewed community survey results and the limitations of the existing recreation center property.
Grant Fills Major Part of Funding Plan
Larchwood began preparing financially for a new community center approximately a decade ago by setting aside $100,000 annually. That fund had grown to approximately $1.5 million by this summer.
As of July, businesses and individuals had also donated or pledged more than $400,000 toward the project. The city previously received a $350,000 Riverboat Foundation grant.
The city had identified the $1 million CAT grant as another major component of its financing plan. Larchwood Mayor Ken Kerkvliet previously said receiving the full award would likely leave the city needing to borrow approximately $1 million, although the final amount will depend on construction bids and other available funding.
City officials have said the current financing plan does not call for an increase in property taxes specifically to repay the community center loan.
The Larchwood City Council voted in July to seek bids for the facility. At that time, the project was estimated at approximately $4.25 million, but officials noted that its final cost would not be known until bids were received. The IEDA’s announcement now lists the total project cost at $4.13 million.
Construction could begin as early as this fall, depending on the bidding process and contractor availability.
The CAT program assists communities with the construction of recreational, cultural, educational, and entertainment facilities that enhance quality of life in Iowa. Funding recommendations are made by the CAT Review Committee and submitted to the IEDA Board for approval.
