Iowa City Downtown District offers $15,000 grants for new retailers

Maintaining balance ’more pressing goal now more than ever,’ district says

Apr. 15, 2021 10:02 am

“The vast majority of space interest is coming from national and local restaurant and food establishments,” says Nancy Bird, executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Iowa City Downtown District announced it is offering $15,000 grants for those who sign new soft-goods retail leases.

First-floor vacancy levels are at about 4 percent, according to ICDD, but the district is hoping to maintain a balance in types of businesses downtown — “ a more pressing goal now more than ever,” according to a news release Wednesday.

“The vast majority of space interest is coming from national and local restaurant and food establishments,” ICDD Executive Director Nancy Bird said in the news release.

“In order to keep a mix of offerings downtown, the timing is actually really good to go out and incentivize new independent retail merchants and encourage them to give downtown a look..”

ICDD also is offering one year of complimentary retail delivery and the option to sell products on its downtowniowacitymarket.com online store.

More information on the grants is available at downtowniowacity.com/do-business.

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