Great Places named

DES MOINES – Six Iowa communities have been chosen for the state's Great Places program, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced Friday.

The program is designed to help communities cultivate their unique qualities and make them attractive places to live and visit.

With their selection in the Great Places program, the communities become eligible for technical assistance from the state to develop their proposals and projects. They also will receive assistance in identifying grant programs that the projects could be eligible for.

“The Iowa Great Places program asks Iowans to work together to develop a vision for the future of their communities,” said Cyndi Pederson, director of the cultural affairs department.

The communities selected Friday include the following: The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance, which includes the cities of Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Waterloo; Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty; the city of Marion; Tama County; the Turkey River Corridor, and the Villages of Van Buren County.

A formal announcement of the communities' selection is scheduled for Oct. 16 in Des Moines.