Iowa Cultural Affairs – State Historic Preservation Office has notified FDP, developer of The Green@TechWorks that $8.8 Million of Historic Tax Credits have been awarded to the project. The state office made the award based on a design that honored the industrial past of the Tech II structure while incorporating the features of the modern …business hotel, and office and educational spaces of The Green@TechWorks project. In addition to the work of Waterloo-based InVision architecture, FDP relied on Tallgrass Historians of Iowa City. Tallgrass Historians also assisted the developer in the process of nominating the site for the National Register of Historic Places.
Tag Archives: development
GCVAC NOW ACCCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR ANNUAL AWARDS
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber announce nominations are open for a variety of business awards to be presented during the 2013 Annual Celebration on Thursday, March7th at the 5 Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. “The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Annual Celebration is one of my favorite events. It gives us the opportunity to thank all our investors and members for all they do to make the Cedar Valley a great place to do business. The businesses and individuals recognized always bring inspirational stories of success. It’s the high point of the evening,” said Bob Justis, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.
Do you know of an individual who should be recognized for their contributions in creating a strong business climate and enhancing the quality of life in the Cedar Valley by continued service and leadership? Has a business or organization, made an outstanding contribution to the Cedar Valley and its citizens on a continued basis or with a specific project? You are encouraged to nominate them for recognition of their contributions.
“The nominees and award winners demonstrate what a successful economy we have. It’s important and fun to recognize those who are investing capital, creating jobs and really making a difference,” said Alliance & Chamber CEO Steve Dust.
Nominations are being accepted through January 18th for the following awards:
- Business of the Year Award
- Harold Brock Innovation Award
- Treating Capital Well Award
- Fulfilling the Vision of One Award
- Cedar Valley Partner Award
Descriptions of the awards and nomination forms are available at the Alliance & Chamber offices or online at
www. cedarvalleyalliance.com/programsandevents . For additional information, please contact Bette Wubbena at bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com or 232-1156.
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber works to increase wealth and economic vitality through collaborative economic and community development throughout The Cedar Valley economic area.
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Vote for job creation, favorable business climate and prosperity
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is proud to participate in the Iowa Prosperity Project (P2) sponsored by Economic Progress for Iowa ‘s Citizens (EPIC), a not-for-profit entity founded in 1991 by a number of businesses and statewide business associations. EPIC is a non-partisan organization dedicated to research and the dissemination of data on the attitudes of Iowa ‘s citizens, legislators, and legislative candidates on matters affecting business.
Like the GCVAC, EPIC believes that Iowa and its citizens will benefit from a “pro-business” environment. The resources found on the P2 website neither endorse nor oppose any candidate for public office, rather, it is a resource to inform the electorate by publicizing issues and factual information on those issues, and to be active participants in the political process.
The GCVAC encourages you to subscribe our Legislative Relations blog where we will be providing local insights and links to resources including P2 .
Use the link in the right side column to subscribe.
With all the political messages filling the media, it can be confusing whose name will be on your local ballet.
Find your candidates by entering your full street address below. You may also enter just your zip code if you wish.
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Use this search form to find your elected officials at all levels of government and see how your incumbent performed in the last term.
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Election Insights is a political analysis publication of the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC). BIPAC is an independent, bipartisan organization, that is supported by several hundred of the nation’s leading businesses and trade associations.
“The importance of election at the state level cannot be emphasized enough. While most of the focus and attention revolves around the tightening presidential race and a few contests for the U.S. Senate, what happens at the state level is typically more relevant to our daily lives and the pocket book issues Americans rate as the most important issue facing the country.” – By Michael R. Davis
“. . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber sets date for Pre- Legislative Reception
The GCVAC Government Relations Committee, chaired by Mike McCrary, Lincoln Savings Bank, and GCVAC Director of Director of Government Relations Steve Firman have set December 5th, 2012 as the date for the Cedar Valley Pre- Legislative Reception. The event will take place at the Isle Casino and Hotel Waterloo, 77 Isle of Capri Blvd., at 4:30 pm.
The Pre-Session Legislative Reception is a two hour meet and mingle with area leaders from across the Cedar Valley region. Only brief introductions of the legislators in attendance, along with brief comments from each sponsor, make up the program. All area senators and representatives are invited. Investors/members should attend to indicate broad-based support for pro-market, pro-business policies and the projects and programs that will make the Cedar Valley an even better place to live and operate a business.
Sponsors for the event are the Cedar Valley Manufacturers Association, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, and the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.
MidAmerican Energy’s senior management and topic experts host event for business
MidAmerican Energy EMPOWER U sessions will offer the latest, most comprehensive information you need to make informed decisions for our community and your business. Topics of discussion will include Rates, the Future Electric Generation, Energy and Budgeting/Planning Policy. The Waterloo EMPOWER U will take place Oct. 25, at Hawkeye Community College — Tama Hall. It is a free event, but an RSVP is required. Seating is limited and spaces fill quickly. Please go to the EMPOWER U website for details and to register.
Grainger Opens Business Center
The opening of the new 41,000/sf center marks a commitment from the company, “This is a Fortune 500 company that’s perennially voted a top company to work for,” said Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley. “To say ‘yes’ to Waterloo with all their other choices says a lot about our economic development and the area.
Parris Devine, vice president of operations and planning for Grainger, said the company’s commitment to build the facility was based on the commitment and work ethic of the area’s work force. “This group is so talented,” Devine said. “ We’ve had great luck in retaining and keeping talent here.” Grainger supplies industrial and technical products for nearly 1.8 million customers around the world. June 17, 2009.
View more information here: http://www.cvedc.com/
TechWorks finally appears to be moving downtown forward
Just what does $50 million buy these days?
We’re about to find out, as work on the long-talked-about TechWorks project appears finally ready to start this year.
TechWorks, in theory, always has been a great concept as a salve for downtown Waterloo, which, like other central urban business districts across the country, started a long downward slide when stores and other businesses moved out and buildings fell into disrepair. The farm crisis of the late 1980s certainly didn’t help.
Talk of downtown redevelopment is nothing new. What’s new is action, which appears to be starting.
Davenport-based developer Rodney Blackwell ventured into town with an eye on building new housing in downtown Waterloo and left with TechWorks on his mind.
“The bones of that building are incredible,” he said.
Whatever vision crept into Blackwell’s mind started to grow. Plans were drawn and revised. Consultants were brought in and high-level meetings held over the last couple of years.
And last week, that vision was unveiled to a roomful of civic and business leaders in the form of The Green @ TechWorks. When the project is completed sometime in the late summer or early fall of 2013, the campus will immediately have enough solar and wind power to provide as much as 60 percent of its energy needs. The “Tech 2” building will include “world-class” showroom and office space, as well as an upscale 100-room hotel/restaurant complex tailored to the needs of business and leisure travelers.
Next door will be a 24,000-square-foot John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum that planners say will attract tourists from all over the world. Deere also will have a thoroughly updated training facility on the premises. Planners say they are on the cusp of signing at least one new tenant for Tech 1.
And, that’s just part of a downtown renaissance planned for downtown. Blackwell says work will begin in the summer on revitalizing a downtown corridor dubbed “Main & Main,” along Commercial Street around the convention center.
Add to that, new housing along the riverfront, the riverfront plaza and amphitheater project and all of its amenities, rehab projects either on the drawing board, under way or already completed, plus the new SportsPlex, and it’s hard to doubt the rebirth of downtown Waterloo is finally taking shape with full force.
There have been hints that the promise of downtown was beginning to be realized, with ongoing individual projects too numerous to list here.
In other words, there already is visible evidence that the presence of TechWorks is setting off redevelopment in a long-moribund area of downtown.
Now, with Blackwell’s participation, a fuller-scale transformation of downtown is set to begin, as soon as next summer.
TechWorks is in the center of the action, but it is only the beginning.
That always has been the plan. Soon, we will be seeing concrete evidence of that long-held vision.
Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/business/local/column-techworks-finally-appears-to-be-moving-downtown-forward/article_6157d500-4daa-11e1-988b-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1mHNkalMV
Cedar Valley Businesses Surveyed on Progam, Business Conditions
Responses to a recent, detailed survey of 70 Cedar Valley businesses and community leaders presented strong indications that the Cedar Valley economy has held its own during the downturn of the past several years. The survey was conducted by Convergent Nonprofit Solutions, on behalf of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.
Survey respondents indicated that the recent favorable business results are attributed to strong manufacturing and agriculture sectors, particularly John Deere’s strong performance and demand for components and services in the U.S. and globally, low unemployment in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls MSA, and overall business expansion in the Cedar Valley economic area.
Additionally, survey respondents reported an increasing scarcity of available workforce possessing the technical and other industrial skills in demand. Respondents indicated continuing reliance on economic development and educational leaders to address the tightening constraint to growth.
In addition to gathering economic and workforce information during the survey, an outline of proposed development strategies was presented for review. Those businesses interviewed reinforced the three strategic goals of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.
- Develop and strengthen a technology and innovation-based economy;
- Act as the recognized catalyst and focal point of effective regional action on economic and community issues of importance to Cedar Valley businesses and institutions;
- Increase the effectiveness and impact of Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber organizations.
The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber works to increase wealth and economic vitality through collaborative economic and community development throughout The Cedar Valley economic area.