Clear Lake putting final touches on Surf District application for Destination Iowa grant program

CLEAR LAKE — Clear Lake city officials are putting the final touches on their Destination Iowa application for a potential redevelopment project in the Surf District. The city is looking to make several improvements to the area surrounding the Surf Ballroom, including a boutique-style hotel.

Mayor Nelson Crabb says a potential grant for this project from the state program is another exciting opportunity for the city.  “The State of Iowa created that Destination Iowa grant program. As a part, there are various programs of funding available to communities. One of those is this placemaking fund, and that’s the one that we are really applying to get that particular grant.”

Crabb says the city last month received positive news from a study done to see if a boutique-style hotel should be placed in the Surf District.   “We’ve utilized the same consultant that we had for the Marriott Fairfield out in Courtway Park utilized for the hotel feasibility study there. Now we also used the same consultant for a feasibility study for a boutique-style hotel to be constructed in the Surf District where the former Hilltop Motel is located. That has been completed for a few weeks now and the results were very favorable regarding a location in that district.”

Crabb credits city staff for their effort in putting together the application.  “I applaud the efforts of the city. Definitely City Administrator Scott Flory, he’s been working on this incessantly for quite a while, as well as Creighton Schmidt, our finance director and director of administrative service, to get us to the point we’re at now. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for that area, and we really need to make sure that we do it right before we submit an application. An exciting time, an exciting time in that particular area. We have a number of people involved. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

The application deadline is September 30th.

City Administrator Scott Flory gave a presentation to the City Council at their meeting last week. View that presentation below