The City of Emmetsburg has the opportunity to partner with a local property owner to apply for a $100,000 grant through the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program, administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The program can help spur development in underutilized buildings by assisting with the redevelopment, rehabilitation, or deconstruction of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community.

IEDA has set aside $1 million for 2024 Community Catalyst grants. At least 40% of funds will be awarded to cities with populations under 1,500. The maximum grant award is $100,000. Funds may be used for the rehabilitation of one commercial building per community or two adjacent buildings with same ownership. Deconstruction is allowed in dire situations or for safety reasons. Grant funds are distributed as a reimbursement of pre-approved project costs. Costs incurred before project commencement cannot be included as part of the grant reimbursement. A City must be the applicant and provide financial and/or in-kind resources. More program information and scoring criteria is available at www.iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/Catalyst

At this time, the City is accepting pre-applications from property owners that would like to be considered for this grant. If multiple pre-applications are received, the City will choose the project that is most catalytic and is most likely to be funded based on the state’s scoring criteria. The City will then work with the selected property owner to prepare and submit a pre-application and full application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority by the April deadline. The City will also provide a local incentive and/or in-kind support for the project with an amount based on project size and impact. The City’s contribution will be discussed with the property owner prior to submitting the grant.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete the City of Emmetsburg Community 2024 Catalyst Pre-Application which includes:

  • Contact information
  • Building Address
  • A summary of your proposed project (design/construction and building use)
  • How this will be catalytic and important to our downtown
  • Preliminary budget (estimated)
  • Funding sources

Return your completed pre-application by mail or email by Friday, December 1, 2023

Attn: Gretchen Reichter
City of Emmetsburg
PO Box 417
Emmetsburg, IA 50536
[email protected]

If you have questions, please contact Gretchen Reichter, Emmetsburg Marketing & Retail Coordinator, at 712-852-2067.

Helpful information:

Past Catalyst grant recipients: