Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Governor Culver Announces Vision Iowa Annual Report
37 Vision Iowa Projects Leveraged Over $145 Million in 2007
(Des Moines) Today, Governor Culver announced new findings from a 2008 Vision Iowa annual status report. Since January 2007, the Vision Iowa Board announced 37 awards totaling to $32,160,109 of state investment to communities. With an additional $113,004,142 in local investment assistance, Vision Iowa projects leveraged a total of $145,164,251 last year.
In the program’s seven years of existence, 297 awards have been made to 91 counties and 205 communities across the state, leveraging $332 million in awards into nearly $1.7 billion of investment in Iowa. To date, 13 Vision Iowa projects have received $236,550,000. A total of 284 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) projects have received $95,486,780. The complete report can be found at www.visioniowa.org.
“The Vision Iowa and CAT Programs have played an important role in assisting community leaders in realizing their local visions,” said Governor Chet Culver. “I thank all the people who have invested their time, expertise and resources into making Iowa a better place to live, work and play.”
“I think the true success of the Vision Iowa program is the partnerships formed among cities, counties, private businesses, individuals and the state,” said Vision Iowa Board Chairman Andy Anderson. “Forging this broad financial base strengthens projects by spreading costs and building community support for the project.”
The report also highlights five communities – Atlantic, Burlington, Elkader, Marshalltown, and Storm Lake – as examples of success. A full listing of each applicant, project and specific award amount can be found on www.visioniowa.org.
The Vision Iowa Program and the Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Program provide financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. The next Vision Iowa Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 in Waterloo. For more information, visit www.visioniowa.org.
Vision Iowa Report Quick Facts
Since January 1, 2007
- 37 Projects
- $32,160,109 – State Investment
- $113,004,142 – Local Investment
- $145,164,251 – Direct Leveraged Investment
Since July 1, 2000
- 297 Projects
- $ 332,036,780 – State Investment
- $ 1,360,479,758 – Local Investment
- $ 1,692,516,538 – Direct Leveraged Investment