Des Moines, Iowa — Two projects in our listening area have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the State of Iowa. The Hartley Community Pool project has received a $350,000 grant, and the indoor turf facility project in Sioux Center has received half-a-million dollars. A project just outside our area also received a $350,000 grant.
The Enhance Iowa Board awarded $5,168,458 in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to 16 projects in the state this past week. The grant given to the Sioux Center project was tied with a project in Decorah for the highest amount given. The Hartley grant was tied with a grant given to a project in Grinnell and a project in Spirit Lake for the fourth-highest amount given.
The Hartley pool project, which is estimated to cost around 2.4 million dollars is planned to include the construction of a new community pool and bathhouse. The pool will include zero-depth entry, basketball hoops, volleyball nets, an ADA lift, sunshades, and lap lanes.
The Sioux Center turf project, which is now referred to as the “American State Bank Sports Complex,” is estimated to cost around 8.8 million dollars. The project includes the construction of an air-supported (dome) structure with an artificial turf flooring surface inside. The project will also include the construction of a head-end building, which will serve as the main entrance to the Sports Complex with space for offices, concessions, storage, restrooms, and changing rooms.
Construction on the 118,000-square-foot American State Sports Complex is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2022. The shared project between the City and Dordt University is to create indoor space for a variety of activities and offer a new option for year-round recreation for all ages.
Those in charge of the Sioux Center project tell us that with a 470-foot by 250-foot air-inflated dome and indoor turf, the sports complex will be designed to allow for activities like youth and adult soccer, recreational programs/activities, softball games and practice, baseball practice, football practice, community wellness programs, physical therapy, strength and agility programs, and rentals. The design includes space for spectators to watch and an 8,000- square-foot head-end building with changing areas, concessions, and seating. It is estimated the facility will see more than 200,000 visitors per year. The American State Bank Sports Complex is slated to be open to the public around December 2022.
The Spirit Lake project, called Igniting a Healthy Legacy is estimated to cost about four million dollars, and will consist of the overhaul of three existing facilities and construction of three new buildings at Camp Foster. The new buildings are to include a visitor’s center/office, welcome center/airnasium, and a double cabin with a capacity of up to 20 campers. Renovations will convert the current visitors center to a health lodge, the current health center to additional cabins, and expand the dining hall.
