The Community Foundation of Marshall County awarded grants from the Rebuild Marshalltown Fund to the City of Marshalltown’s new Pickleball Pocket Park and the Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance’s Marshalltown murals project in the Downtown Historic District.

The Pickleball Pocket Park will be between the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Marshalltown City Hall, south of State Street. The placement of a park in this location will increase access and reduce the distance to travel to a city park for a large area of residents on the north side of Marshalltown while providing a new amenity in downtown that also supports the Downtown Master Plan. The CFMC Rebuild Marshalltown Fund is pleased to grant $28,000 toward this project which includes $3,000 for a public art sidewalk story.

A grant in the amount of $18,000 has been awarded for a mural on the east wall of the Iowa Valley Community College Districts’ Orpheum Theater which faces Highway 14. This location was chosen due to high visibility and traffic, while bringing vibrancy and beautification to the Historic Downtown. The project was chosen because experience has demonstrated public art’s ability to be a catalyst for future public art projects and community development and fulfills elements from both the Highway 14 Plan and the Downtown Master Plan.

“These additions to the Historic Downtown Marshalltown District exemplify that we are rebuilding better than before and will serve our community well,” Community Foundation Executive Director Julie Hitchins said.

Contributions to the Rebuild Marshalltown Fund can be made online at www.cfmarshallco.org/rebuild-marshalltown-fund/ or checks can be mailed to the Community Foundation of Marshall County, 11 N. First Ave., Marshalltown, Iowa 50158.