[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9825-S9826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     WATERLOO, IOWA, REVITALIZATION

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, one of the greatest challenges we 
face--not just in Iowa but all across America--is preserving the 
character and vitality of our towns. This is about economics, but it is 
also about our culture and identity. After all, you won't find the 
heart and soul of Iowa at Wal-Mart or Home Depot out in the strip 
malls. No, the heart and soul of Iowa is in our family farms, and on 
Main Street in communities all across my State. That is why we need to 
be as generous as possible--and creative as possible--in keeping our 
downtowns not just alive but thriving.
  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am involved in 
funding many hundreds of programs every year. But the Main Street Iowa 
program--providing challenge grants to revitalize downtown buildings 
across my State--is in a class by itself. It is smart. It is effective, 
and it touches communities and people in very concrete ways.
  For example, the citizens of Waterloo are in the process of 
reinvigorating their downtown district. With the support of a HUD 
challenge grant, National Trust for Historic Preservation, the city of 
Waterloo, and the local Main Street program, the Fowler Project in 
Waterloo will play a significant role in the revitalization of its 
central business district. Upon its completion, the project will 
encourage and inspire additional participation in the downtown effort, 
and serve as a progressive economic engine of culture, arts, and 
entertainment. This will support the synergy of young professionals, 
increase members of the creative class in the Cedar Valley, and provide 
an alternative commercial enterprise for the city. The Fowler Project 
will be an integral tool in remaking downtown Waterloo into a thriving 
cultural, civic, and commercial crossroads of the Midwest.
  The beauty of the Main Street Iowa program is that the ideas and 
initiatives come from our towns and rural communities. I have been 
pleased to secure $1.5 million in funding since 2002 for Main Street 
Iowa Challenge Grants. The Main Street programs of the Iowa Department 
of Economic Development help provide technical assistance, but, as we 
have seen in Waterloo, success itself comes from local leadership, 
local teamwork, and home-grown ideas and solutions.

[[Page S9826]]

  This project is a shining example of new construction and a catalyst 
for future projects. When people see one of the anchors of Main Street 
being renovated or expanded, this can change the whole psychology of a 
town or community. It offers hope. It serves as a catalyst for a far-
reaching ripple effect of positive changes.
  So I congratulate the citizens of Waterloo for putting together a 
winning proposal to secure a Main Street Challenge Grant. Their efforts 
to reinvigorate their historic downtown are setting a terrific example 
for other towns across America, and for that, I salute them.

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