'Massive' construction predicted after I-JOBS projects get green light

Work on Corridor communities' “shovel-ready” projects that won I-JOBS funds Monday should begin this construction season.

Residents will see a “massive amount of construction” in the next few years, Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth predicted Monday after the I-JOBS board approved more than $34 million for projects in Johnson County.

His community received the single largest grant - $27 million for flood recovery and protection on Coralville's First Avenue, which saw significant flooding in 2008. The project includes raising and lengthening the bridge over Clear Creek, making the street five lanes, elevating it up to Sixth Street, adding flood walls and building a tunnel near the bridge for the trail system, Assistant City Administrator Ellen Habel said.

“The dirt work for these projects will be the quickest to start,” Hayworth said.

In Iowa City, Mayor Regina Bailey expects to break ground on Fire Station #4 in October. Some of the site preparation has been done and construction should be completed next year. Design for the replacement of the north wastewater treatment plant should be completed next year with construction in 2011, city officials said.

Linn County was awarded $33.4 million for eight projects, the largest a $15 million upgrade of the U.S. Cellular Center. Cedar Rapids City Council member Brian Fagan called the projects “critical to the rebuilding effort.”

I-JOBS funds are “one layer of financing,” he said. How quickly residents see activity on them will be “contingent on applications pending for other grants, the availability of historic tax credits and local commitment.”

The Corridor projects were among 58 local infrastructure initiatives in 33 counties that shared in the $118.5 million in state grants Gov. Chet Culver and the Legislature made available to local governmental or non-profit entities on a competitive basis. Although approved projects came from all four quadrants of the state, more than half of the funds were designated for Linn and Johnson counties.

That wasn't lost on representatives of Scott County communities who saw none of their projects funded.

State Sen. David Hartsuch, R-Bettendorf, told the board he was struck by the “preponderance of money” to Linn, Johnson and Polk counties.

“Cedar Rapids, alone, has already received over $42 million in earmarks,” he said after the I-JOBS board met in Waterloo. “By concentrating the funding source to a limited area, it diverts jobs from outlying counties and ultimately hurts their economies. It also will drive up the cost of construction.”

However, Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, defended the board for honoring the Legislature's intent by treating communities with fairness and balance.

I-JOBS Chairman Jeff Pomeranz of West Des Moines encouraged Scott County to continue to apply for I-JOBS funds and repeated his hope for another round of funding for the program.

“It's a big state. There are lots of needs,” he said. “This is not the end here.”

The board also approved two non-competitive grants for fire stations in Palo and Charles City that were damaged in last year's flooding.