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By Trudy Balcom
The little City of Marquette took some big steps toward the future in 2009 with several large-scale projects. The planning of the Wetland Center, the proposal for a ground-breaking conservation zoning ordinance and a $677,000 grant for stormwater infrastructure installation are all major projects for any small city to tackle, and Marquette tackled all of them in 2009. That’s why Marquette figures prominently in the North Iowa Times Top Ten Stories of 2009. These stories were rated in importance based upon the expected future value and impact on the communities of Marquette and McGregor.
1. Great Places Projects Beginning with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the state in February, local Great Places organizers worked steadily through the year. Through the spring and summer Marquette and McGregor labored to create a workable 28E agreement that both cities could feel comfortable with. The agreement allowed for the creation of the Wetlands Centre Board, which began work in earnest in September. Shive-Hattery architects began meeting with local organizers and stakeholders in the fall, to try to identify the opportunities and obstacles posed by the three Great Places projects—the Wetlands Center, the Emma Big Bear Trail system, and the Marquette-Joliet Observation Tower. These citizen-driven activities have prodded the City of Marquette into considering the recreational possibilities at the abandoned Roundhouse site. In addition, the McGregor-Marquette Arts Center, another facet of the local Great Places project, opened for a full season in McGregor and hosted four well-attended gallery shows. Planners will meet again early in January to move forward on the design for the Wetland Center at the Roundhouse site.
2. The Bench Stormwater Project Ever since the storm in 2007 which dumped over 10 inches of rain on Marquette that caused devastating flooding on Brown Street and other areas on The Bench, Marquette has been looking for ways to prevent such devastation from occurring again. That effort culminated in a $677,000 IJOBS grant, which will fund about half of the cost of improving storm sewers and retention ponds and other aspects of the stormwater system on The Bench. The funding has come with some strings—the city has had to secure easements from property owners and conduct an environmental assessment. The project was delayed repeatedly in 2009, as the city worked through various hurdles that arose through the process. The city plans to let bids for the project in January for construction of Phase I in 2010.
3. Completion of Ohmer Ridge It was impossible to get though a McGregor City Council meeting in the early months of 2009 without watching the the council struggle with the engineering firm of Vierbicher and Associates. Vierbicher and Associates oversaw the infrastructure installation work at Ohmer Ridge, which encountered a number of delays and problems in late 2008 that spilled onto council agendas in 2009. Promises from the company to finish projects in a speedy manner in March saw little follow-through and did not prevent a spring rainstorm from heavily eroding an unfinished portion of Center Avenue, pushing mud into neighboring yards. By mid-summer the road was paved and final work on booster pumps for the well serving the new neighborhood were completed in December.
4. Re-branding, remodeling at Lady Luck Casino As a major employer locally and regionally, and one of the area’s premier attractions the casino at Marquette is a major local economic engine. Todd Steffen came on as vice president and general manager early in the spring, after the departure of area native Barron Fuller. Rumors have swirled for years that the casino might shut down or move out of the area. Most of those rumors were squelched in 2009 when the casino launched a multi-million dollar rebranding and remodeling project. The worn, tacky tropical decor of Isle of Capri was dumped for a new brand, Lady Luck. The casino boat was remodeled in the early part of the year, and the showroom pavilion and restaurant were completed in early fall. The casino is still owned by Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.
5. Demolition of the Lady Luck Motel Part of the Isle of Capri’s plan for rebranding included the demolition of the iconic motel on the bluff at Marquette. The 40-year-old structure had originally been part of the Pink Elephant complex. The company gave the community little notice of its plans, Steffen appeared before the Marquette City Council in September to announce the company’s intention to apply for demolition permits with the Iowa DNR within 7-10 days. The city council made only a few verbal protests, and the motel was torn down in early October. Although Steffen commented publicly that the casino’s intention was to give the property back to the city, no public meetings between the two have been held, and the future of the motel site remains unclear.
6. Marquette considers conservation zoning ordinance With the help of a consultant from Howard R. Green, the Marquette Zoning Board presented to the council their draft conservation overlay ordinance in May. The ordinance creates a process whereby the city can review proposed development plans in areas of high visibility on the bluffs. The proposed ordinance met some opposition at a public hearing in late July. Few larger cities in Iowa have drafted this type or ordinance; Marquette may break new ground as one of the smallest cities to pass such an ordinance if it is adopted. The council verbally stated that they plan to move slowly and carefully with the ordinance, which may come to a vote in 2010.
7. Emerald Ash Borer found in Clayton County This potentially devastating forest pest was found in southern Clayton County at the Osborne Center in June. Officals with the DNR and county conservation organizations set traps around the county to determine the extent of the infestation.
8. Local debut of “Sixteen to Life” The movie filmed in McGregor during the chilly, rainy fall of 2007, debuted at the Elkader Cinema and Elkader Opera House on Sept. 2. Several of the actors and director Becky Smith were on hand for the event. The coming-of-age story had already garnered awards at several film festivals across the country, but some older local viewers were mildly scandalized by the film’s portrayal of sex and drug use by teenagers.
9. Failed bridge paint job After over a year of highway delays and lane closures during the repair and painting of the Marquette-Joliet Bridge, local residents began noticing big flakes of peeling paint falling from the structure in early February. Testing was supposed to determine the cause of the failure, and who was responsible. Nothing was done about the problem until late October, when the paint contractors returned to install giant drop cloths on the underside of the bridge to catch falling paint. It is unclear what is planned to fix the problem in 2010.
10. McGregor appoints Historic Preservation Commission In 2007, some downtown business owners began calling for the city to adopt an historic preservation ordinance to protect the historic downtown architecture. The concern began after one business owner began painting his building in bright colors. With his election to the mayor’s seat in the fall of 2007, Roger Knott vowed to take up the issue during his term. The task was completed when the city appointed a s |
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