The 29th Avenue North Sub-area Plan was prepared as an appendix to the City of Marion Comprehensive Plan that was adopted in 1998.  The purpose of this Plan is to further refine recommendations for the arrangement of land use, compatible zoning, private development design criteria, transportation systems, school development, parks and open spaces.

Initial realignment of Tower Terrace Road (formerly 35th Avenue) from its current east / west alignment was approved that "moved" the road north to an alignment that now creates an access point onto Highway 13 between 29th Avenue and Echo Hill Road (future Artesian Road).

Concepts of the 29th Avenue North Sub Area Plan were then incorporated into the Marion Comprehensive Plan (adopted 2010), Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan (adopted 2010) and the creation of the Neighborhood at Indian Creek Design Guidelines Manual (Adopted 2010)

• 29th Avenue North Sub-Area Plan (Adopted 2009)
• Marion Market Analysis (September 2009)

Step into Nature with Marion was a project created by the Linn County Coalition for Planning Healthy Iowa Communities and is being implemented by the City of Marion.  The goal of the Step into Nature Project is to develop an Active Living and Biophilic Design Policy for the City of Marion and, ultimately create a toolkit to be used by other Iowa Communities to adopt a similar policy. 

Active Living is defined as a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines.  Establishing an Active Living Policy for the City would establish a set of guiding principles that ensure that as our community develops or redevelops certain design accommodations are incorporated to encourage physical activity. 

Biophilia is the concept that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.  Biophilic Design related to City Planning has recently been introduced by University of Virginia Professor, Tim Beatley, and is detailed in his book, “Biophilic Cities”.  Similar to an Active Living Policy, the creation of a Biophilic Design Policy for the City would establish a set of guiding principles that ensures there is a direct connection to nature and the outdoors as the city develops and redevelops.

This country is facing an obesity epidemic; the prognosis is bad and getting worse.  One in three adults are obese and one third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.  Obesity is a severe public health crisis and experts agree that as more and more obese children become adults, the diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, cancer and especially diabetes will surge.  Combating obesity is complicated issue; one potential solution is to design communities to encourage active and healthy lifestyles.

Today’s society is more urban, digital and fast-paced than ever before. The downside of this is the overall loss of our connection to nature and the outdoors. Research indicates that biophilic design can increase overall well-being. It has been proven that patients recover quicker with natural (vs. urban) window views and in workplaces with natural scenery and light employees are healthier and take fewer sick days. Studies show that designs that incorporate ecological aspects minimize stress levels, reduce mental fatigue and elevate mood. These strategies can enhance overall health, productivity and learning of residents in a community in addition to having a whole host of positive environmental benefits.

This annexation agreement for land located in Linn County north of E. Robins Road between C Avenue and Alburnett Road and was approved by both jurisdictions in 2013.

Marion & Cedar Rapids Annexation Agreement
Marion & Cedar Rapids Annexation Boundary Map

In 2022 the City of Marion and the City of Cedar Rapids teamed up to create a joint planning study for the area generally bound by C Avenue and Alburnett Road, and East Robins Road and County Home Road. Through this effort, both communities were able to identify seamless land use, recreation, utility and transportation potential. 

Marion / Cedar Rapids: C Avenue and Alburnett Road Growth Study Area (April 2023)

City staff in collaboration with Stanley Consultants created an extension of the 2009 Marion Central Corridor Master Plan. The 2019 Plan took the concepts of the 2009 Plan and established built zoning districts and standards that will serve to implement the current vision of the area as redevelopment continues to occur.

Marion Central Corridor Districts Plan - 2019 (Adopted April 2019)

Connections 2040 is the shortened name for the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The Long Range Transportation Plan is the federally required long-range (20+year) strategy and capital improvement program developed to guide the effective investment of public funds in multi modal transportation facilities for the metropolitan planning organization area. The plan must be updated every five years. The Plan provides the context from which the region's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a short-range capital improvement program for implementing highway, transit, and bikeway projects, is drawn.

Connections 2040 Plan

Two documents were created through the planning process, the East Marion Subarea Plan - Plan Summary which covers the site analysis, concept review, and character imagery and the East Marion Subarea Plan which is a land use guide for future development. The Summary and Plan area encompasses Fernow Road south to Highway 151 from and from just within the eastern city limits to Hindman Road. 

As the East Marion Subarea Plan transitions from within the city limits to outside of city limits, the detail within the plan also transitions. This is attributed to the unknow timeline of when county property owners may decide to develop or sell their land for development. The Plan provides details regarding lot layout for the 160 ac within the city limits and includes approximately 26 acres of shared school/park land, approximately 40 acres of commercial/multi-family land, 147 units of attached residential, and 134 units of detached residential. The remaining 375ac of county land included within the subarea was looked at from a higher level of planning, laying out a vehicular and pedestrian network system, along with land uses that are considered compatible within the airport overlay without providing too much detail pertaining to lot size, density, or character.

The East Marion Subarea Plan was adopted by City Council in October 2021 as an appendix to the Marion Comprehensive Plan. 

East Marion Subarea Summary
East Marion Subarea Plan

Maxfield Research and Consulting, LLC performed a housing needs analysis for Marion, which was received and filed by City Council on October 6, 2022. The study analyzed demographic and economic data, and housing market conditions, and provides calculations of housing demand between 2022-2030. It also suggests housing product types and amounts necessary to satisfy current demand and the demand of projected growth.

Report: Housing Needs Analysis for the City of Marion, Iowa

Identifies key opportunities for both near-term and long-term public art projects.  These projects include temporary and permanent public artworks associated with streetscape improvements in Uptown, The Central Corridor and Western Corridor, new commissions for major civic facilities such as the Marion Public Library expansion, major parks such as City Square Park, Lowe Park and Thomas Park as well as major gateways.

ImaginART: A Public Art Plan for the City of Marion (Adopted July 2012)

Lowe Park is a unique destination that welcomes and captivates individuals, families and the community in a sustainable way focused on the health of people, place and community.  The Master Plan was updated to provide for recommended priorities for continued park development.

Lowe Park Master Plan Update (Adopted May 2023)

Lowe Park Master Plan Update (Adopted August 2011)

Marion's Comprehensive Plan is a document that all cities use to determine community goals and aspirations in terms of community development.  A comprehensive plan is the City's official policy guide for physical improvements and development.  The Plan considers not only the current needs and issues within the community, but also presents a plan for guiding new improvements and developments for the next 15 to 20 years.  The Plan establishes the ground rules for private improvements and development and provides the framework by which the City can review and evaluate private development proposals.  In addition to private improvements the Plan presents a number of public improvements that can help to ensure that local dollars are spent effectively.

Comprehensive plans typically include a large geographic area well beyond the communities existing municipal boundaries. The recently adopted Comprehensive Plan for the city of Marion extends approximately two miles from our current municipal boundaries.

For more information and to view the Comprehensive Plan section by section, please visit our Comprehensive Plan webpage.  

• Marion Comprehensive Plan (Adopted 2010)
• City of Marion Comprehensive Plan - Existing Conditions Report (Prepared June 2009)

Marion has updated the previously adopted 2005 Trails Plan that was in need of updating due to new design concepts for infrastructure, the map of trails and bikeways being outdated, and the necessity for identifying and prioritizing areas around the City for newly proposed bikeways and trails. This Marion Master Trails Plan, adopted 2014, will provide an outline for future trails and on-street bikeways with an emphasis on connectivity to community destinations and enhancement of the regional trail network. The Plan focuses on existing conditions, best practices for design, a recommended trail network, plan implementation, and performance measures.

Marion Master Trails Plan - Executive Summary (Adopted July 2014)
Marion Master Trails Plan (Adopted July 2014)

The Marion Independent School District and the City of Marion have coordinated efforts to create a blue print that summarizes community input, education, and MISD administrative staff experience, along with the latest techniques and strategies to support safe travel to and from school for students and staff. The plan is designed to layout policy and infrastructure improvements that can be made in the short and long term best interest of the students and the district as a whole.

Safe Routes to School Plan - MISD (Adopted September 2017)

The Neighborhood at Indian Creek is a vision of mixed use development with Midwestern architectural character and a neighborhood feel developed through neo-traditional planning.  A primary feature of the Neighborhood is its walk-ability... the pedestrian takes precedence. This Plan, originally adopted in 2009, underwent a revamp which focused on development trends, external development pressures (new Linn-Mar School, Prospect Meadows, and the Squaw Creek Crossing development), community interests, and changing property ownership while considering future land uses and zoning regulations. 

The Neighborhood at Indian Creek - Design Guidelines Manual (Adopted March 2019)

The Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan (TTRCMP) is intended to bring together several years of planning efforts from multiple jurisdictions into a single concise document for use by the Corridor MPO and affected member entities in the future development of the Tower Terrace Road corridor.  Tower Terrace Road will begin west of Interstate 380 near Hiawatha and continue west through Robins, Cedar Rapids and Marion ending at Highway 13 east of Marion.  The Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan refines the alignment and road access initially designed as part of the 29th Avenue North Sub Area Plan.

• Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan (Adopted 2010)
• Tower Terrace Road Corridor Management Plan Update (Adopted 2019)
• Video fly-through of Tower Terrace Road Alignment (Prepared by: Ament Engineering & Surveying via YouTube)

The Uptown Master Plan Update (adopted 2021) scope area is bounded by 7th Street, 15th Street, 8th Avenue, and 5th Avenue. This does include the 7th Avenue Street/Streetscape Project which was designed concurrently with this document. The Plan combines previous Uptown Plans and community input efforts while filling gaps in order to develop actionable items for implementation of improvements and amenities. An implementation summary is included within the Plan and will serve as guidance for the Uptown area within the Capital Improvement Program. 

For additional information regarding the Uptown Master Plan Update or 7th Avenue Street/Streetscape Project, please visit our project page. 

The findings and recommendations of the Uptown Parking Study were received and filed by City Council on May 9, 2024. As Uptown Marion continues to attract more businesses, residents, and consumers, the more strategic Marion will need to be with parking availability and parking identification.

The study’s objectives centered on assessing current conditions, analyzing utilization data to understand parking trends, engaging the business community throughout the process, and establishing strategies to optimize existing parking resources. It also proposes a parking assessment tool to evaluate potential redevelopment impacts on parking availability, considering mixed-use development scenarios. The study provides a comprehensive evaluation of Uptown’s parking system and presents short- and long-term strategies to enhance the parking experience in Marion’s Uptown District.

With this Study completed, Marion can work towards implementing strategies and improving the parking experience in Uptown.