Representatives from the City of Kalona met Wednesday in Des Moines with the Community Attraction and Tourism committee regarding the city’s grant application. CAT is part of Enhance Iowa, a state program created to assist city projects that provide recreational, cultural, entertainment, and educational attractions. Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said the meeting went well, and the committee agreed to aid the Kalona Community Center project, “We were unanimously approved to go to contract negotiations, so that’s a positive. Now we can work with them to determine what level of funding, up to $800,000, we’ll receive. I’d anticipate we’ll have those discussions here in the very near future.” Schlabaugh added, he was pleased the committee found the project worthy of support.

When the city officially finds out the amount of the Enhance Iowa grant, they will move the project to the bid phase. Schlabaugh is excited to see the countless hours of work and planning pay off when the construction begins, which could be within a month or two, depending on how long the negotiations take. The total estimated cost of the community center project is $4.3 million, which is being paid through a variety of grants as well as a $3.9 million bond referendum.