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Uptown Marion’s $8.35M Central Plaza project nears completion

The project adds a refrigerated ice loop, water features and public art to City Square Park space.

Grace Nieland

May. 5, 2025 5:30 am, Updated: May. 5, 2025 7:59 am

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Russell Barbary with Galaxy Cleaning Services cleans the windows and frames of the now enclosed Depot Pavilion as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza at City Square Park in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Russell Barbary with Galaxy Cleaning Services cleans the windows and frames of the now enclosed Depot Pavilion as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza at City Square Park in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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MARION — Uptown Marion is set to take the next step of its ongoing transformation with the opening of the city’s new Central Plaza.

City leaders and community members this week will celebrate substantial completion of the roughly $8.35 million project in the heart of Uptown Marion. The plaza includes a refrigerated ice loop, water features, public art and plenty of seating.

“This project is the crowning jewel of what we have been doing in terms of reinventing Uptown Marion into a vibrant destination,” said Mayor Nick AbouAssaly. “I’m sure there’ll be additional projects in the future, but this to me feels like a milestone moment where we see that vision come to life.”

An interactive sculpture is seen at the Central Plaza as finishing touches continue on the plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
An interactive sculpture is seen at the Central Plaza as finishing touches continue on the plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

The project stemmed from Marion’s ImagiNEXT community visioning process and was meant to complement the city’s recently renovated North Plaza. Crews broke ground on the project in early 2024 and have since transformed the surrounding City Square Park.

The project itself was supported through a mix of fundraising, city funds and grant allocations — including a $3 million Destination Iowa grant awarded to the city using American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The centerpiece of the Central Plaza is the ice-skating loop constructed in the center of the square where visitors will be able to rent skates to glide around the oblong sheet of refrigerated ice during the winter months.

This rendering shows the proposed ice ring that would encircle the peace tree during the holidays in City Square Park in Marion. (RDG Planning and Design)
This rendering shows the proposed ice ring that would encircle the peace tree during the holidays in City Square Park in Marion. (RDG Planning and Design)

The unique amenity will double as a seating area and gathering space in the off season, and one portion of the loop will transform into an interactive water feature each summer. The ice loop itself is expected to make its debut this December.

“A lot of people have told me that Marion is set up like a Hallmark card, and I really feel like that ice loop is going to be the icing on the cake,” said Marion Chamber of Commerce President Jill Ackerman. “It’s going to be really fun — almost magical — to see it transform during the different seasons.”

Additionally, the nearby Depot Pavilion has been enclosed to offer an event space, bathrooms and a warming area for the ice loop. The iconic orange caboose that previously stood in City Square has been rehabbed and relocated to Draper Park, a new pocket park along Grant Wood Trail.

Parks and Recreation Director Seth Staashelm said the decision to move the caboose was made to best highlight Marion’s historic ties to the railroad through the creation of a new park specifically dedicated to honoring that history.

The caboose was removed from the park in June of 2023, at which point it was repaired and revamped prior to its eventual relocation to Draper Park last fall. The park is named for former City Council member Paul Draper.

Justin Klendworth (left) and Matt Reed install decals on the caboose that once stood in Marion’s City Square Park as final touches were being applied in June 2024 in the refurbishment of the historic rail car at Wabtec Corp., in southwest Cedar Rapids. Workers at the railroad equipment fabrication company repaired damage to the caboose after years of being out in the elements at the park. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Justin Klendworth (left) and Matt Reed install decals on the caboose that once stood in Marion’s City Square Park as final touches were being applied in June 2024 in the refurbishment of the historic rail car at Wabtec Corp., in southwest Cedar Rapids. Workers at the railroad equipment fabrication company repaired damage to the caboose after years of being out in the elements at the park. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

New plaza meant as complement, catalyst for Uptown Marion

AbouAssaly and Ackerman both expressed their belief that the Central Plaza project will contribute to the ongoing and future growth of Uptown Marion.

In the past, AbouAssaly said, City Square Park sat mostly unused unless there was a preplanned event taking place. With the additional development and increased amenities, he said the goal is to see a more steady stream of visitors.

“No one was going (to City Square Park) for a picnic or just to hang out. It was mostly being used for festivals or other large events,” he said. “We wanted to take the opportunity to reinvent the space … and make it a destination for not only Marion, but the region.”

Railing for a refrigerated ice skating loop is seen as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Railing for a refrigerated ice skating loop is seen as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Those visitors in turn would be able to easily access and patronize the myriad surrounding Uptown businesses. The plaza itself is situated in the heart of the district and is flanked on three sides by commercial development.

The land to the south is the open plot previously filled by the Nancy A. Miller Public Library that was razed after sustaining damage in the 2020 derecho, and the city already has expressed its intent to develop the land in a way that complements the plaza project.

Julio Barbosa with Soil Concepts Incorporated moves a line of ground stabilization grid material in preparation for laying sod as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Julio Barbosa with Soil Concepts Incorporated moves a line of ground stabilization grid material in preparation for laying sod as finishing touches continue on the Central Plaza in Marion last Tuesday. The $8.35 million project features a a refrigerated ice-skating loop, enclosure of the Depot Pavilion, year-round public restrooms, live performance space, water features, an interactive play sculpture, public art and seating. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

In collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, the city will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to mark the substantial completion of the Central Plaza project. However, some work remains to truly complete all the promised improvements.

A new sculpture will be installed this June, for example, and the installation of commemorative brick pavement on the plaza’s southeast side is delayed until construction is complete on the nearby Broad and Main building on Sixth Street.

“Just like any city project, you get to a point where the majority of it is completed, but there’s still a few parts left to go,” Staashelm said. “... But overall, we’re just really excited about the vibrancy this will bring to the Uptown area.”

If You Go

The city of Marion and the Marion Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday to celebrate the city’s new Central Plaza.

The event is free and open to the public and will celebrate the substantial completion of the roughly $8.35 million project.

Comments: 319-368-8999, grace.nieland@thegazette.com

Article Tags Marion, parks and recreation, Uptown Marion, Central Plaza
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