Happy New Year, Mt. Vernon
As 2025 begins, it is time to review the City activities and look forward to what is coming up.
Completed construction projects include the resurfacing of Business 30 from Lisbon, west to the Highway 1 roundabout, the Fourth Ave. NW 3 block street construction, and the water meter conversion to remote reads. The Community Development group has changed leadership from Joe Jennison to Jessie Thurn and they conducted seven ribbon cuttings for new businesses during the year. The City funded and completed the engineering for the Iowa DOT to replace all but the center four blocks of Highway 1 between the roundabout and the railroad tracks.
Our residential development partners added three blocks of new streets in Spring Meadows and six blocks in Stonebrook, and they are filling up fast with new homes. Groundbreaking for the 30 unit, 55 and older Cottonwood apartments happened in August with move-ins to happen in late summer 2025. Commercial development should happen west of the cemetery and on Business 30 between the roundabouts. A public hearing for Kwik Star/Trip is set for the first 2025 council meeting on Jan. 6 and that may bring other opportunities for businesses at the bypass.
In parks, our trail art inventory continues to grow and will add an entry feature in 2025. Our first prairie has been started on the roadside hill by the gazebo. A major decision was made to keep a large park presence in our northwest quadrant with keeping, but upgrading the pool in its current site. Public works continues to relocate to the Bryant Road site with concrete floors going into our 2 main buildings and the construction of our salt shed and brine site almost being complete. We hope to have Public Works totally housed at our Bryant Road site in 2025.
Many projects are still in process. Generator install at the LBC should happen in 2025. Uptown street light install should be ready for our first 2025 festival-Chalk the Walk. The sidewalk repair project should launch in the summer and Davis Park is ongoing. We will continue to address the childcare challenge with a possible partnership with the school district and an addition to the LBC. A personal stretch goal of mine is to partner with the City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County Conservation on the reopening of the Interurban Trail from Mt. Vernon west.
While there has been steady progress in 2024, it should continue into 2025. In November, local elections will be held and there will be an opening on City Council for a four-year term. Please consider serving your town in this fashion, or by volunteering for our city board openings as well. Have a great 2025!