The 7th Avenue reconstruction and streetscape improvements will largely be funded by Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and bonding through the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). These improvements in the heart of the community go above and beyond typical street improvements. Building owners will not be assessed for the overall project but will be expected to cover costs of necessary improvements directly related to their property. A combination of grants, tax credits, and matched city funding are available to assist with those expenses.

Marion has grown quickly. We expect the 2020 Census to show that more than 40,000 people call Marion home. In the last 10 years, 30% of our roads have been rebuilt, resurfaced or built new. The weather extremes are very hard on streets and given our climate, these challenges are common for cities throughout the Midwest.

Our Engineering Department and Public Service Department set annual work programs that consist of street patch/repair projects, neighborhood street improvement projects which can involve complete reconstruction of a street, and street maintenance schedules. Roughly $1 million is dedicated to asphalt overlay projects throughout the community each year. These annual work programs vary by year depending on available funding; however, Local Option Sales Tax has been a contributing factor for our consistently larger programs. Traffic volumes and level of street deterioration both play a role in how streets are prioritized for maintenance, repairs, and reconstruction.

Consider how far you are willing to walk to visit a big box store or visit a specific store in the mall. For some reason when in Uptown, residents/visitors expect to park in front of the business they are visiting. There is plenty of parking if people are willing to walk a block. We did an informal study a few years ago and found that only 25% of parking spots were being used at any point in time.

Not too long ago, a parking structure was proposed for Uptown. The difficulty is that these are extremely expensive to build. To make a parking structure work, the city would need to start charging for on-street parking. A new surface lot was added at the southwest corner of 8^th Avenue and 12^th Street in recent years. The Uptown Artway project came to be in anticipation of this 7^th Avenue Streetscape project and the need to create welcoming rear entrances for businesses to use during the construction phase.

This project is not expected to remove any parking spaces that will not be made up elsewhere in Uptown. During construction, any parking spots that will be removed as part of construction are expected to be relocated elsewhere in the Uptown. Additional accessible parking will be created to comply with ADA guidelines. Extra effort will be made to encourage traffic to the local businesses and clearly identify parking options.

The City plans to do a parking study once construction is complete to better understand additional parking needs. As Marion continues to grow, increased demand for parking could lead to a paid parking model to be considered in the future. 

The City of Marion’s property tax levy has remained steady for more than a decade and City leaders do not anticipate raising it right now.

The total tax bill is comprised of additional levies by the school district you live in, the county, Kirkwood and other entities. When taxes increase, it is usually because the value of your home increases, or because of changes in school levies or the state’s formula.

Learn more about how property taxes are determined and the factors that may increase or decrease your property taxes by visiting Linn County's website. Find the full breakdown of Linn County's levy rates for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. It's also on your tax bill every year.

When building and business owners were asked to rank their highest priorities on possible downtown enhancement efforts in the 2019 Uptown Marion Business Survey, improvements to the streets, sidewalks, lighting, furnishings, green spaces and trails in Uptown Marion returned as the highest priority. This project delivers on that request.

The City’s role in economic development is to facilitate an attractive business environment. While street improvements are also important, there’s an important balancing act at play between amenities and infrastructure. Uptown Marion Main Street is a partner in this project, helping businesses navigate during construction and coordinating efforts.

Unlike standard street reconstruction, the streetscape improvements incorporate many additional amenities to attract people to Uptown and to enhance the environment. Improvements are expected to generate traffic, which, could lead to an increase in profits for businesses. Improvements will also enhance the accessibility and walkability of the district. The plaza project and aesthetic enhancements to 7th Avenue in Uptown contribute to the quality of life that residents enjoy and keep visitors coming to the community.

 

The City will be working through a maintenance plan. Currently, building/business owners are responsible for snow removal and general upkeep on the sidewalks directly adjacent to their property. In many communities, Self-Supported Municipal Improvement Districts (SSMID) are created to assist with the additional cost associated with maintaining a downtown area.

While the city has been more intentional about creating the conditions for businesses to thrive, in the end a lot depends on the businesses themselves. Many of the currently vacant storefronts are due to Derecho repairs or planned redevelopment and renovations for new businesses to move in. This is a sign of a healthy and growing Main Street district that is attracting investment and new businesses. 

Public investment helps drive private investment. This can be seen farther east along the 7th Avenue with the addition of a new hotel, restaurants, and personal services. Businesses come and go for many different reasons – many of them being personal (relocating, illness, life changes, or retirement). Enhancing Uptown through public investment (public utilities, reconstructed roadway, and public amenities) indicates to potential business owners that Marion is a place that they will want to locate.

Supporting our local community businesses will assist in them thriving for years to come.

 

The new amenities planned for the plaza will only enhance the programming being offered in City Square Park. Even though events within City Square Park may need to be relocated during construction, events will continue to be held within the Uptown District. The street design of 7^th Avenue into a festival street should make hosting events and festivals even easier in the future. The City will be able to block off 7th Avenue between 10th Street and 12th Street for large events, allowing visitors to easily explore the Uptown area between City Square Park and the Central Plaza on the south side of 7th Avenue to the shops, restaurants, North Plaza, and Uptown Artway on the north side of 7th Avenue.

One proposed amenity is the addition of an ice trail that winds through the Central Plaza, which should expand the number of event days to include winter activities too.

 

City Square Park is a historic asset to the Marion community, including the depot and artifacts located there. It has been determined that the Civil War statute, eternal flame, cannon, and ghost block signage will all remain in City Square Park. 

Upgrades to the depot are being considered as part of the Central Plaza final design; however, decisions on what those upgrades include are yet to be decided as part of the final design process. 

Relocation of the caboose is also being considered, but a final decision has not yet been made.

Marion's historic brick streets hold a great deal of meaning to the community; however, the old road bricks are passed their useful life. At this time the 7th Avenue Streetscape/Improvement project does not include the installation of new brick within the roadway. Bricks will be utilized though as a visual element to distinguish between the roadway and the sidewalk area and within areas of the plazas. 

Currently the city does not have a definitive plan for the brick that will be removed as part of the 7th Avenue Streetscape/Improvement project during the reconstruction. However, the City is considering a variety of potential options, including the potential use of the bricks within the plaza areas of this project.

The conceptual design of the Central Plaza laid out within the Uptown Master Plan Update does not incorporate the old train caboose into the design. However, the City understands the historical importance that the caboose has to the community. Discussions regarding the train caboose have occurred with one thought of it being placed along the Grant Wood Trail in Marion, one of the former rail corridors.