KDSN RADIO News
SWIPCO receives 2024 Innovative Project Award from ICOG
(SWIPCO honored for work on Harvest Hills development in Woodbine.)
DES MOINES – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) has been awarded the
2024 Innovative Project Award from the Iowa Association of Councils of Governments
(ICOG) for work with the City of Woodbine on the Harvest Hills Development. The
award was accepted at the ICOG Staff Retreat in Des Moines.
SWIPCO worked with the City of Woodbine to apply for and obtain a Community
Development Block Grant from disaster recovery funds following the 2019 Missouri
River floods to create an affordable housing project. SWIPCO worked with the city and
NuStyle Development to administer funds and help coordinate the project to construct
40 new homes and the supporting infrastructure in the Harvest Hills subdivision located
on the west edge of Woodbine.
SWIPCO’s Ashley Hayes, Erin Hudson, Aaron Koontz, Mary Auten, and Barb Boggs
had hands on the project. SWIPCO’s team has filled many roles along the way after
helping obtain the initial grant funding. Work has included helping 2019 flood displaced
and low to moderate income residents match with the new housing opportunities,
assuring that federal standards and guidelines are followed, coordinating planning, and
assuring proper paperwork has been filed.
The infrastructure involved with this project was significant with a new water tower and
solar power grid included to meet Iowa Green Streets energy standards. The full scope
of the project has been a $20,772,189 undertaking and was entirely funded through
CDBG-Disaster Recovery funds and the developer’s financing.
S
WIPCO Disaster Recovery Coordinator Ashley Hayes said, “I’m proud of our team
here at SWIPCO and how quickly we all adapt to the ebbs and flows of grant work at
this scale. The rapport each one of us has developed with each of the developer’s team
members and with the City of Woodbine, as well as IEDA, has been very helpful
throughout this project and others as well. We are excited for the city to continue to
thrive with this additional housing and infrastructure and it’s great to know there are
individuals and developers that are willing to invest in our rural communities. It’s exciting
to know that our work as a team has been recognized in this way.”
These funds are a rare opportunity for small, rural communities to bring new residents in
without the need for large matching funds. Cities involved in these types of projects
work in tandem with SWIPCO to manage the grant and project, ultimately realizing a big
impact that may not otherwise be possible.
