Spencer Main Street earns two awards

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Spencer Main Street Director Bob Rose meets with Thom Guzman of the Iowa Department of Economic Development on Tuesday at the city hall complex. The state makes annual visits to Main Street communities to monitor progress and offer suggestions. [Order this photo]

The Spencer Main Street program secured awards for "Best Education/Preservation Design Committee Project" and for "Outstanding Volunteer" during the 22nd Annual Main Street Awards Ceremony, held April 17 in Des Moines.

The education/preservation award recognized Spencer Main Street's efforts to catalog 39 historic buildings in its downtown historic commercial district. A plaque explaining the historic significance of each building is displayed at of the properties.

The narrative was also included in "Stroll History" a map and walking tour guide that directs visitors to each of the venues. Nominations were submitted for 110 projects; 28, including Stroll History, were selected for awards.

"Harry Rasdal was the driving force behind that," said Spencer Main Street Director Bob Rose.

Dr. Rasdal's work earned the longtime Spencer resident one of 37 Outstanding Volunteer awards. Rasdal is on the Spencer Preservation Commission, researched the building histories, assembled details in the brochure and worked with Spencer Trophy to design the 39 plaques.

Rose and Rasdal was joined by Dave and Molly Scott at the awards ceremony. Michael Tramontina, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, presented the awards.

"The Downtown Resource Center and our department are dedicated to creating opportunities for economic development while at the same time preserving the unique character, charm and history of our downtowns," Tramontina said. "I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to recognize the excellent work of the local Main Street programs and the dedication of their staff and volunteers."

The program started in Iowa in 1986, as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is funded through the Department of the Interior. It was designed to assist the downtown districts of rural Iowa in an era of shopping malls and suburban sprawl.

Spencer was accepted into the Main Street program in 1987 and is one of the longest continuing Main Street cities in the state. Nationally, less than 10 percent of communities that start the program can maintain the effort for 20 years.

Rose has coordinated the Spencer Main Street program since 1992 and credits the Spencer City Council for the program's longevity. On Tuesday, Rose received a visit from Thom Guzman, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development's community development division.

"Every year the Iowa Main Street program visits each one of our Iowa Main Street communities to do a program review -- to see how they've done in the last year and what kind of help and support they might need -- what kinds of challenges we might be able to leave them with," Guzman said.

(File photo) Dr. Harry Rasdal was recognized as an outstanding volunteer during the 22nd Annual Main Street Awards Ceremony on April 17. He recently helped catalog 39 historic buildings for a walking tour brochure.

Guzman has worked with the Iowa Main Street program for more than 21 years. Main Street Iowa communities have benefited from more than 1.7 million hours of volunteer time and more than $800 million in private investment for property upgrades, according to the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

"I have absolutely seen amazing transformations of our city centers across the state," Guzman said. "Communities like Spencer that had 20 or 25 vacancies -- just on their main street -- today have perhaps two or three."

A delegation from Spencer will return to Des Moines on Saturday to receive a "challenge grant," which was secured by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and available to communities participating in the Iowa Main Street program.

The challenge grants are intended to be used for building, restoration and renovations. The city selected the Spencer Community Theatre expansion and renovation for its application. The state received 24 applications totaling over $2 million in funding requests. About $700,000 was distributed to 14 applicants, including Spencer's theatre request.

"The projects have to be something kind of special," Rose said. "It can't be a routine roof replacement. It has to be something nice."

Ellen Huntoon, from Harkin's office, received special recognition in honor of her strong advocacy for Main Street Iowa's programming at the April 17 ceremony.