The City of DeWitt is preparing to revitalize their downtown area with $600,000 in grant money

DEWITT, Iowa (KWQC) - Governor Kim Reynolds announced a total of $20 million is going to support downtown revitalization for several Iowa counties through the Downtown Housing Grant Program.

The program provides support to communities with a population of 30,000 or less.

A few of the surrounding counties to win the award are Clinton, Cedar, Lee, and Muscatine.

TV6 caught up with city officials in DeWitt, who say the money will be used to build 53 rental homes in their downtown area.

“First, we have a need for all types of housing into it. Like I said before, it’s a tight market at all levels. Another report not related to this project showed that our units or rental units released almost at 100%. So we need more apartments and market rate apartments haven’t been built into it or any apartments for quite some time. This is located in downtown Dewitt. So it has an even stronger impact. Because now it brings that 75 to 100 people right into our downtown where we have restaurants and services and retail businesses,” said Steven Lindner, City of DeWitt Administrator.

City officials go on to say the project will be built in the former Iowa Mutual Insurance building.

Construction could start as early as this month and reach completion within a year from now.

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