T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — A construction worker drives a large piece of equipment on the site of the new Urgent Care clinic by Meadow Lane Mall on Thursday.
Former United States President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent.”
That saying could be applied to many sections of Marshalltown, because the number of large construction projects happening at one time is something not a lot of people have seen. Whether it is an apartment complex on State Street or a multi-million dollar hospital on the south side of town, Marshalltown development is occurring at an almost unprecedented rate.
Mayor Joel Greer described this year as “crazy good” in terms of development.
“I predict we are going to have a Renaissance like we have never had before,” he said. “We got one hell of a good thing going on here right now — retail, housing, the school district’s graduation rate, the medical community.”
Marshalltown Housing & Community Development Director Michelle Spohnheimer said this has been the busiest building season in the 20 years she has served in the city position.
A crew pours concrete at MARSHALLTOWN Company on Thursday, where construction has begun on a 57,000-square-foot expansion.
“This is absolutely exciting,” she said. “There are so many projects going on. Some are related to recovery from natural disasters, but many are additions or enhancements. It’s a very exciting time.”
The top projects, according to Spohnheimer, are the $38 million UnityPoint hospital expansion on the south side of town, the $18 million McFarland Clinic near Walmart and the addition of 57,000 square feet of manufacturing space at MARSHALLTOWN. However, no matter the size, she said they are all important to the growth of Marshalltown, and she highlighted the facade improvement for Zamora’s on Main Street.
Spohnheimer said a lot of projects were put on hold after the 2018 tornado and 2020 derecho tore through Marshalltown likely led to the boom in building.
“We had almost a year of no construction,” she said. “Many of these projects were in planning stages prior to that and a lot depends on when they are ready. Also, activity spurs activity. Things are going so well that we are going to spur housing. We need people living here.”
Indeed, the city announced the Make Marshalltown Home Program on Wednesday, which provides $10,000 for new homebuyers and aims to add 100 homes to the community.
The new Fareway is still under construction, but is projected to open in 2021.
The new medical facilities will help make it easier for people to decide to move to Marshalltown.
“These are the big pieces potential residents are likely to see,” Spohnheimer said. “They want to go to the doctor and do things efficiently. Hopefully they will also see businesses expanding and growing, which means more employment opportunities. That affects the tax base and is a benefit to property taxes and the overall budget. All of this is important to current residents.”
Greer is encouraged to see both McFarland and UnityPoint build new facilities, which he believes will attract more physicians and specialists.
Another industry the mayor is excited about in town is retail. Fareway is expected to finish and open its new store this year.
“It’s going to be nice,” Greer said. “I saw the one in Ames, which is what this one is going to be like.”
A construction worker on Thursday walks toward the $36 million UnityPoint Hospital expansion on the south side of Marshalltown.
Spohnheimer was unable to directly address future projects, but said she is “always hopeful.”
She is including the north side of Marshalltown in those hopes, as well. After the announcement of the new hospital and clinic on the south side of town, some northern residents felt their part of Marshalltown was being ignored. Spohnheimer said that is not the case. Some parts of Marshalltown are easier to develop than others right now.
“The north side is fully developed,” she said. “Projects need five to 10 acres and that is not available on the north side. That type of development is on the south side.”
By acquiring larger areas of undeveloped land, Spohnheimer said developers do not have to worry about possible demolition or environmental issues.
“The city is not steering development in one specific direction, but we are steering it where it makes the most sense,” she said.
Even though the scene appears still, this is soon to be the entrance of the new $18 million McFarland Clinic by Walmart.
Some northern projects, such as the Edgewood extension, should not be overlooked, Spohnheimer said. Construction on that project has not yet begun because in-depth designs are being constructed and then it will be let out to bid. Spohnheimer does not know when the construction will begin, but believes it will yet be this year.
With the large number of building or expanding of various industries or neighborhoods in Marshalltown, Greer is convinced the town will be more desirable to residents and potential future residents.
“This is a really exciting time for Marshalltown,” Greer said. “I hope people buckle their seat belts and watch what happens.”
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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.
- Some low-income housing is under construction on State Street in Marshalltown. The lack of housing has been a problem for the community.
- A construction worker on Thursday walks toward the $36 million UnityPoint Hospital expansion on the south side of Marshalltown.
- Even though the scene appears still, this is soon to be the entrance of the new $18 million McFarland Clinic by Walmart.
- T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — A construction worker drives a large piece of equipment on the site of the new Urgent Care clinic by Meadow Lane Mall on Thursday.
- The new Fareway is still under construction, but is projected to open in 2021.
- A crew pours concrete at MARSHALLTOWN Company on Thursday, where construction has begun on a 57,000-square-foot expansion.
- T-R PHOTO BY TREVOR BABCOCK First generation students Yoselin Morales (left) and Andrea Ordaz (middle) speak to Marshalltown Community College academic advising specialist Valerie Ruiz (right) during the pop-up event for first generation students on Thursday.
- This undated photo provided by the Iowa Department of Public Safety shows Xavior Harrelson. Harrelson, who vanished from a rural Iowa trailer park in Montezuma, Iowa, days before his 11th birthday, is still missing a week later, as state and federal investigators continue to look into what happened to him. (Iowa Department of Public Safety via AP)
- T-R file photo A team from the 2019 fundraiser has fun while raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Some low-income housing is under construction on State Street in Marshalltown. The lack of housing has been a problem for the community.
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