Members of the DRC include Tyler Abens, a local realtor; Ariel Bertran, development director, City of Webster City; Zach Chizek, city attorney; Monica Haberman, with Platinum Connect, a downtown business; Andy Hejlik, who owns a downtown building, and Ottie Maxey, executive director, Hamilton County Growth Partnership. Referring to the group, Maxey said, “It’s a strong group doing important work.”

The DRC was convened by the Hamilton County Growth Partnership — GCGP, which earlier identified downtown revitalization as one of its five objectives for the next five years initiative.

To explain the group’s mission, Maxey said,

“The HCGP asked a small group of key stakeholders to prioritize actions to revitalize downtown. The first phase was obvious: do what is necessary to remove the barricades. After meeting four times since January, the committee has prepared recommendations to get it done.”

Those recommendations will be implemented with three different tools; stabilizing buildings with state and local grants; assisting owners who are committed to repairing their buildings, with long-term forgivable loans, and as a last resort, demolishing buildings which can’t be saved.

Stabilize. 707 Second, home to Lotus Treasures thrift shop, will be stabilized with traditional masonry reconstruction to its eastern wall, and minor repairs to its roof. The city will apply for an Iowa Emergency Catalyst grant to pay for part of the repairs. Lotus will temporarily close its thrift shop while the work is completed, estimated to take about two months. In the agreement with Lotus, the city will take possession of the building and seek a developer to buy the building and finish the work. Part of the scope of work will be refurbishment of two rental apartments on the second floor to help meet strong demand for downtown housing.

Assist. Chris McNeil, owner of 518 & 520 Second St., has worked to repair failing brickwork of his buildings since an independent engineering report revealed the buildings’ north face is leaning. But the repairs are extensive and expensive, and the pace of the work hasn’t allowed the barricades to come down as quickly as McNeil and the city would like. DRC is proposing a forgivable loan of $120,000, which will enable repairs to move forward sooner than otherwise might be possible.

Demolish. The building at 547 Second, once home to Coulter’s Draperies, is the most unstable of the three buildings selected by DRC for early action. Vacant for years, and plagued with decades of deferred maintenance, estimates to restore it runs into six figures. Councilman John Marvel, who favors historic preservation as a first option downtown, said, “it’s too bad, but spending that much money here doesn’t make good business sense. As we watch and wait, the structure becomes increasingly dangerous, so demolition seems our best option overall.”

The city estimates demolition of the building will cost $179,000 not including asbestos testing and remediation procedures, which are required by state and federal laws.

Commenting on the three projects, Councilman John Marvel, said he wholeheartedly supports this work.

“We need both transparency and progress,” said Marvel. “We need to see progress in these projects. Everyone wants to imagine a great town.”

City Manager John Harrenstein applauded the recommendations of the DRC.

“These recommendations are consistent with the city’s comprehensive land use plan and other downtown studies completed over several years,” he said.

To fund the revitalization projects, the council approved a separate measure. This will combine the 2016 Industrial Urban Renewal Area, which includes the premises of Mary Ann Specialty Foods, Webster City Custom Meats, and Tasler, Inc., all on the city’s far east side, with the existing Riverview Urban Renewal District. Doing so will take advantage of incrementally higher property tax revenues arising from growth of the east side businesses.