A host of local leaders gathered in the area between the Marshalltown Aquatic Center and Mega-10 Park on Thursday morning at the future site of the Apgar Family Water Plaza to break ground on that project and three others in the Linn Creek District — the Ann C. Keyser Trailhead, the Emerson Bridge and the Martha-Ellen Tye Playhouse renovations — and celebrate a “reimagining” of the community’s future.

Arts+Culture Alliance Executive Director Amber Danielson served as the emcee for the event, speaking first and describing the occasion, despite the cloudy skies and occasional rains, as “a pretty exciting day.”

“Honestly, every time I’m around this area, it feels a little surreal because we’ve been talking about this for a very, very long time,” she said. “Today isn’t just a groundbreaking. It’s a moment that we finally get to see shovels in the ground on decades worth of work. This is the start of a new, transformational chapter for the Linn Creek District, a moment where we get to prove what’s possible when we dare to dream big and refuse to give up. What you see today didn’t just happen overnight. It is because of relentless dedication, passionate people and a shared belief that Marshalltown deserves big things, big ideas and beautiful spaces and that we could do more than just restore — we could reimagine.”

Despite “moments of doubt,” she touted the perseverance of Marshalltonians in making the projects possible.

“It’s a ground-shifting moment, a turning point for years of vision, grit, community spirit all coming together where we can dream and turn that into something real, something we can walk on, something we can gather in and something that can last for decades for an impact,” Danielson said.

First Ward City Councilor, Mayor Pro-Tem and Mayoral candidate Mike Ladehoff touted the teamwork that has made the Linn Creek projects possible and attracted grant funding through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) along with major contributions from local businesses, foundations and private individuals.

“These projects will not only help Marshalltown become a destination place for people across the state and beyond, but also (will) provide a piece of pride for all the people of Marshalltown for decades to come,” he said.

TRAILS Inc. President and At-Large City Councilor Jeff Schneider spoke about the trailhead project and how it will serve as the cornerstone of the larger Iowa River’s Edge Trail between Marshalltown and Steamboat Rock.

“It’s a symbol of what’s possible when vision meets persistence. TRAILS Inc., powered by our passionate supporters, has long believed in this dream. It’s the beginning of a bigger vision for the Linn Creek District, a revitalized, reimagined space that ties together nature, community and opportunity,” he said. “Today, we’re turning that belief into reality, one that reflects the future thinking mindset of our city — a Marshalltown that’s not just rebuilding but reimagining… The trail starts here, and it leads somewhere incredible.”

RACOM President Mike Miller recounted conversations among a group of citizens all the way back in 2007 that resulted in the proposal of “seven great ideas” — the redevelopment of the Linn Creek Corridor being one of them. At that time, they raised $30,000 for a study on how to revitalize the area, and a water feature was included.

“That plan, that beautiful plan, never got implemented. Plans changed. Priorities changed. Development dollars shifted. Use of the land shifted. Heck, we have a new public safety building between then and now on a piece of the land. And that plan, like so many plans before it, sort of began to fade into irrelevance. Or so some people thought,” Miller said. “But there’s a group of you that passionately and persistently and publicly and privately continued to work on this effort, and what an effort it is.”

On behalf of the group from almost two decades before, Miller thanked the current cadre of individuals who led the $2.5 million fundraising effort to help make the projects a reality. Next up was MARSHALLTOWN Co. President/CEO Joe Carter, who along with his wife Janelle redeveloped the former Crosby Pool area across the street into rental housing units in a complex now known as Crosby Park.

When they first purchased the property, Carter said he and Janelle envisioned a trail that would run from the Freedom Rock past the Legion Golf Course to Crosby Park and Wayward Social before continuing on through what is now the Creekside Estates development, back through the golf course and over the 6th Street Bridge, which will soon be known as the Emerson Bridge, to the trailhead. He also noted that Ann C. Keyser’s husband John was the longtime CFO at MARSHALLTOWN, and the trailhead being named after her was special to Carter.

“I think it’s exciting that that dream we had back in 2018 has finally become a reality. That trail is there and meets up with everything that we’ve got, but I think it’s just one step in where we’re going. It is more to come, and I want to say that it’s a step in the right direction for this community, a step for growth, a step on our way to 50,000 people. Let’s go get it.”

Tom Apgar, whose family is sponsoring the new Water Plaza, delivered the longest remarks of the morning, starting off by noting that he was wearing a green sport coat he purchased at a men’s clothing store in Marshalltown 35 years ago — at that time, there were three.

“(This coat) symbolizes the reimagination of Marshalltown. Yes, we’re rebuilding Main Street Marshalltown after our two tragedies we don’t want to talk about. We’re investing in downtown Marshalltown. We’re investing all throughout the community,” he said. “This coat was purchased on Main Street when Marshalltown was thriving, downtown was thriving. Well, guess what? Marshalltown is thriving again… I’m a totally big believer in the future of Marshalltown.”

Apgar thanked Danielson and Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall for “opening his eyes” and educating him on public-private partnerships, a new concept to him.

“It’s really reinvigorated and re-energized me into getting into the community. Now I read the T-R every morning. Now I pay attention to every city council meeting and county supervisors meeting. I’m so proud of the future of Marshalltown. I’m a lifelong resident. I’ve never seen it going this far ever in my life, and it means a lot to me,” he said. “We have strong leadership. We have strong leadership in the Chamber, the Arts+Culture (Alliance), the school system, the county supervisors, the city council people. They all see the big picture. They’re all going this direction.”

He provided some background on the Latin/Spanish term “Plaza,” which translates to “a gathering place” and felt the new feature would have a “wow” factor while allowing individuals from all over town to come together. Apgar was also proud to bring back the family name as one of the city’s two former public pools was named after his late brother John.

“This gives me the opportunity to reimagine and bring back the name of Apgar, John Apgar, in a facility that can tie to his name. And the best part is (that) all the water that’s sprayed through the nozzles gets recirculated, run through the filters over here at the Aquatic Center, and it’s not wasteful. So that was one of the big selling points,” Tom Apgar said.

Heidi Dalal, the executive director of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation, spoke next and credited all of the donors both public and private who made the projects possible. She also touted the foundation’s namesake and how much Tye loved Marshalltown and the fact that the playhouse named after her at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) will see major improvements in the near future.

“So here in the Linn Creek District comes alive a renewed connection to place, but also connection to each other. This is where we will gather. This is where we will stay connected to each other and all the amenities that are here in this district,” Dalal said. “I think Iowa artist Akwi Nji said it best. Marshalltown is a remarkable blend of cultures and values that simultaneously honor tradition while sparking future thinking and innovation.”

Danielson wrapped up the festivities by thanking Hall for his work toward raising the aforementioned $2.5 million — contributions ranged from $50 to seven figures — along with the leaders and community members who spearheaded the original “Imagine” plan.

“You believed in those big ideas before they even had names, and we’re finally seeing them come to life,” she said.

Like Dalal, Danielson also gave kudos to Marshalltown Public Works Director Heather Thomas for her “dedication and expertise” on the projects and ability to handle “a thousand moving parts at once” with skill and precision in creating a better community.

“This is really showcasing the power of public-private partnership. When the public and private sector come together with a shared vision, shared resources and combining those, it turns into extraordinary things, and that is what we’re seeing here today,” she said. “These partnerships turn those big ideas into reality.”

The Apgar Family Water Plaza, she added, was the first Marshalltown project where an artist, Hilde DeBruyne, was required to be at the table from the very beginning, which she described as the kind of forward thinking that puts the city on the map. Danielson ended with a quote from IEDA Director Debi Durham — “If you want to see real transformation, look at Marshalltown.”

“Well, we are just getting started,” Danielson said. “Today, we stand here not just breaking ground on four projects but a milestone on the transformation of the Linn Creek District.”

From there, it was time for the traditional shovel and hardhat photo. Edge Commercial is the contractor on Water Plaza, while Con-Struct will be working on the trailhead and bridge and Garling Construction is the contractor for the MET Playhouse.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.