The Storm Lake Times: Top Story

Downtown: A cultural district?

The idea is to create a magnet that would attract local and regional visitors. But little financial help is available to property owners other than possible tax credits.

by dolores cullen

Around 40 citizens turned out for a workshop by Kathy Gourley of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs at the city council chambers Monday evening. Gourley was invited by Bethany Larson of the Witter Gallery board to speak on the Cultural and Entertainment District Program and answer questions from the group.

The Witter Gallery recently announced plans to apply for the Cultural and Entertainment District designation.

Gourley explained that the district needs to be a walkable, mixed-use compact area in which a high concentration of cultural facilities serves as the anchor. In Storm Lake the area would be downtown and surrounding blocks, as are cultural and entertainment districts in Spencer Cherokee and other towns comparable in size to Storm Lake.

Venues such as the Harker House, BV County Historical Museum, Santa’s Castle, Witter Gallery, South School and restaurants would be included in the district. Establishments like the Buddhist Temple or Mi Azteca are not within walking distance and therefore would not be in the district.

“You want to be alive with things to do,” Gourley said. She described events such as art festivals, live entertainment and even a tug-of-war across the Mississippi River as examples of the kind of things going on within cultural and entertainment districts in Iowa.

These districts often have buildings on the National Historic Register. Gourley had driven down Lake Avenue on her way to City Hall. “You have an incredible array of brick buildings with altered storefronts,” she said. “It looks like you would have buildings that would fall into that.” She mentioned the building on the corner of Lake and Railroad Streets occupied by the Boat House.

If enough buildings are brought into compliance, a specific area taken as a whole can represent a streetscape of a certain time period and therefore be eligible for the Historic Register. Photos and site forms need to be submitted in order for buildings to be accepted.

Improvement of buildings in the Cultural and Entertainment District might qualify for tax credits, said Gourley in response to a question on financial benefits from Mayor Jon Kruse. Beyond the tax credits, little financial assistance is available.

City councilman David Grant Walker asked if cities with cultural districts gain statewide visibility. Iowa’s 34 districts are described on the State Historical Society of Iowa’s website, but beyond that, publicity is generated locally, replied Gourley.

“It’s mainly a mindset of ‘Look what we have to offer,’” said Gourley of the benefits of the designation. Cultural districts attract people to their community and expand and support small businesses. They attract other cultural venues also. Communities do their own thing to hype their cultural districts. There are often decals on storefronts. Signage for the districts come from the state.

An in-depth application would have to be completed and a $250 fee submitted. A staff, board and budget would also need to be prepared in order to be considered for the designation.

When an audience member asked who the driving force behind Storm Lake’s application process, Bethany Larson immediately stood up and addressed the group. As a member of the Witter Gallery board, she claimed leadership for the the project. “I envision the Witter Gallery as a center of a citywide effort to advance arts and culture,” she said. She advised that anyone with suggestions contact Gallery Director Ron Stevenson.

The next step, she said, would be to establish a collaborative unit from different factions in Storm Lake to begin work on the application.

The gallery would begin by making individual phone calls to “stakeholders” in the community, to gauge their support for the Cultural and Entertainment District.

Monday’s gathering was diverse. There were representatives from Buena Vista University, the BV County Historical Society, Storm Lake United, Public Safety, City of Storm Lake, library, arts council and other organizations.