After public officials witnessed possible underage labor and safety hazards last week at the construction site of Cedar Rapids’ $49 million Banjo Block development, state officials are assessing whether the findings jeopardize millions in tax incentives awarded to the project.
Federal funds will help with tree replanting, generators
A state board on Thursday awarded a combined $1.3 million toward two CEdar Rapids projects: one that will revitalize Cedar Lake through the grassroots ConnectCR initiative and the other that will renovate the African American Museum of Iowa.
Developer Steve Emerson’s redevelopment of the Iowa Building, 211 Fourth Ave. SE, received historic preservation tax credits to create 41 rental units on the upper floors.
Cedar Lake revitalization as part of ConnectCR and the African American Museum of Iowa’s renovation project are among 34 seeking Community Attraction and Tourism grant funding.
An influx of $38 million in federal funding will fuel investment in the construction of 290 new single- and multifamily housing units in Linn County — mostly Cedar Rapids — to aid in recovery from the 2020 derecho.
International Paper’s proposed expansion of its Cedar River Mill facility was awarded $1.2 million in state tax incentives Friday, supporting the development of a more sustainable structure that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22 percent in the coming years.
The Cedar Rapids City Council has signed off on resolutions of support for multifamily and single-family housing projects that are seeking a slice of federal disaster recovery funds to add a combined 300 housing units in the community.
A producer said the series no longer plans to film next year
Convergen Energy, which diverts non-recyclable products from landfills to turn it into pellets that can be burned as an alternative fuel, plans to open a new facility in Fairfax.
Also, the state announced $3.3 million for myriad water quality projects
Remarks from two state agency directors came at The Gazette's virtual Iowa Ideas conference, which continues Friday.
The state program, using federal funds, will provide loans and other capital.
Kirkwood is partnering with The Eastern Iowa Airport to launch a Aviation Maintenance Technology program in fall 2023 to address an area of need in the workforce. About $1 million in federal and private funds will support the renovation of an aircraft hangar into a classroom.
The global leader in the pharmaceutical excipient industry was awarded more than $1 million in state assistance Friday to expand its Cedar Rapids facility. The $18 million project will create 18 high-quality jobs.
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