Coralville 150th Anniversary - 06.28.23

ABOUT THE COVER

The cover for this special edition is inspired by the logo for Coralville's 150th anniversary, which was created to uniquely reflect the city’s rich history and bright future.

in the upper left corner represents the city’s namesake. The town was christened "Coralville" for the fossilized corals found in natural rock exposures along the Iowa River.

Coralville Lake fossil

Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette

STAFF

Zack Kucharski

Executive Editor, The Gazette

Jason Brummond

Publisher, The Daily Iowan

Design

Heidi Owen, The Daily Iowan

Editing

Gretchen Lenth and Alex Kautzman

Reporters

The bicycle wheel in the lower left corner represents Coralville's biking and recreational trails, as well as the river-powered mills of Coralville's early days.

Bicyclists in the Iowa River Landing

Ayrton Breckenridge/The Daily Iowan

Olivia Augustine, Raquele Decker, Kayce Drevline Alex Kautzman, Grace Kreber, Gretchen Lenth, Ailis McCardle, Mason Miller, Lauren Swanson, Mason Tan, Isabel Tuisl, Omunique Wilkerson, Lea Zeitler

Additional Reporting

Jami Martin-Trainor, The Gazette

Izabela Zaluska, The Gazette

History Timeline/Archives

Lauren Asman, Stuart Brown, Kayce Drevline, Tessa Goodwin, Omunique Wilkerson

Photos

Isabel Tuisl, Tionna Tobias, Gazette/Daily Iowan staff and archives, Coralville Digital History Library, Johnson County Historical Society

Special Thanks

City of Coralville / 150th Anniversary Committee

Fireworks in the upper right corner represent the community's festivals and celebrations, including Coralville’s 4thFest fireworks.

Fireworks display from 2022

Ayrton Breckenridge/The Daily Iowan

Kelly Hayworth, Laurie Goodrich, Stacey Houseman, Rex Brandstatter, Hai Huynh, Terry Kaeding

University of Iowa

Melissa Tully, Rachel Young

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Coralville 150th anniversary special edition is a collaboration between The Gazette, The Daily Iowan and the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

1876 Schoolhouse

Tionna Tobias

The vibrant colors of the logo represent the diversity of the community and Coralville's bright future.

Coralville sign

Heidi Owen/The Daily Iowan

Zack Kucharski, executive editor of The Gazette, and Jason Brummond, publisher of The Daily Iowan, co-instructed a capstone journalism class focused on Coralville and the city’s sesquicentennial. Students in the class met with city officials and community leaders to learn about Coralville, and then produced stories and content for this edition.

The tab was inserted in both newspapers on June 28, 2023.

The tree and park inside the five symbolize Coralville's many parks and open spaces, and the growth of the community.

S.T. Morrison Park Tionna Tobias

The iconic 1876 schoolhouse in the lower right corner, with its native limestone foundation and cast iron star claps, was where generations of children in Coralville went to school.

Coralville’s earliest pioneers settled the area long before the city had a name Faces

The Fellows family lived peacefully beside the Native Americans until Chief Poweshiek moved his people to a new village in the west part of the county in 1839. Poweshiek granted the Fellows family the 260-acre farm they had staked out. Because it was a gift from the chief, it was not entered into the Federal records until it was surveyed much later. The land transaction was unique for the state of Iowa. The farm later became known as the Evergreen Farm and was owned by the Dennis family, as Isaac Dennis married Elizabeth Fellows in 1843.

It was spring 1838 when Nathaniel Treadwell Fellows Sr. and Jr. settled on 260 acres of land along Clear Creek. The Fellows family came across the east bank of the Iowa River and loved the unusually clean, clear water in the stream and the land adjoining it.

The elder Fellows had departed New Hampshire a year earlier after fighting in the American Revolutionary War. They left via wagon in 1837 and reached Portage, Ind. that summer. The following spring, they again headed west, crossing the Mississippi River at Bloomington, now known as Muscatine.

The land was located opposite of an Native American lookout just south of what is now Iowa City near the Iowa City Airport. The Fellows family was helped by Chief Poweshiek of the Meskwaki Tribe alongside the Sauk Tribe. Fellows decided to make this area their home and started planting

corn and potatoes.

After arriving near Clear Creek, the Fellows met Bowen Wright, a hunter and trapper living in a hut nearby. Wright helped the family build a 10-by-12 foot cabin — Coralville’s first home.

The elder Fellows died just two months after the home was completed. He was 80 and one of just 19 soldiers from the American Revolutionary War to be buried in Iowa.

But the area that the Fellows lived in wasn’t yet named. In the three year span between 1841 and 1844, three dams and grist mills opened in Johnson County, with two of them in what is today Coralville. David & Joshua Switzer opened one in 1841, near the junction of Clear Creek and the Iowa River.

The second dam and grist mill was built in Iowa City in 1843, but the Iowa City Manufacturing Company opened its mill in 1844 near what today is the Iowa River Power Restaurant. The mill opened in 1844 and spent four years changing ownership. In 1848, Ezekiel Clark and E.W. Lake, both from Ohio, purchased the dam and mill, renaming it the Clarksville Mill. The area –which featured several mills, a paper company and other industry – became known as Clarksville.

The town was known as Clarksville for several years. In 1864, a famous geologist, Louis Agassiz, came to Iowa City to study the fossilized coral deposits in the limestone. Residents renamed the city as Coralville in 1866 and it was incorporated

as a city in 1873.

But there was another important chapter in Coralville’s pioneer history.

In 1856, more than 1,300 people gathered along Clear Creek as part of an encampment of Mormons who would head west in 1856.

The group was part of the Mormon Handcart Brigade Camp. The immigrants left Liverpool, England on steamship to Boston and then rail travel from New York City to Iowa City – the western endpoint of the railroad. Once on the banks of Clear Creek, they worked to build their handcarts and other equipment needed for the journey on foot to Salt Lake City.

The first of five groups arrived in May and early June of 1856, with each group spending about a month at the encampment working to prepare for the trek. The conditions were difficult. Few were skilled craftsmen, accounts state, and materials –especially lumber – were difficult to find. As many as 20 people crowded into each tent, while campfire was the only way to cook food.

The fourth and fifth groups departed from the encampment in late July, putting the later groups in the mountains during the winter months.

A marker along Fifth Street, placed by the Iowa Daughters of the American Revolution in 1936, still marks the area of the encampment.

Staff Report

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD

Lived: 1813-1894 (80 years)

Occupation:

Iowa senator and governor, secretary of the interior under President James Garfield

Residency:

The Kirkwood home in Iowa City, which is now a historical building

Time in Coralville:

Spent 40 years in Iowa and mainly resided in Iowa City and Corlaville

Fact:

Buried at Oakland Cemetery in east Iowa City

Samuel J. Kirkwood is a well-known Iowan whose name can be found on several buildings and streets across Iowa. Many years after his death, Kirkwood’s impact in Coralville remains prevalent.

Kirkwood began his time in Iowa as a businessman for a local milling company. Though he tried to avoid politics, he eventually made his way into it. It wasn’t long before he had finished his second term as Iowa governor in 1877, served two terms as U.S. senator for Iowa senator until 1881, and later became President James Garfield’s secretary of the interior that same year.

One of Kirkwood’s prominent political stances was for the abolition of slavery. One anecdote from his time was when he helped a runaway slave from Virginia seek freedom and avoid the extradition papers from his home state.

Kirkwood’s name is on several things in Iowa. His former home, the Kirkwood House in Iowa City, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Kirkwood Elementary School in Coralville and Kirkwood Community College in Eastern Iowa are both named after him, recognizing his efforts to fund public education.

By Mason Miller

Rebuilding the Coralville Mill Dam - 1860s-1870s Ruins of the Close Paper Mill - 1875

Coralville’s first female mayor reflects on first term

Mayor Meghann Foster discusses her history-making title and looks toward future goals for the community.

Faces

ZACH WAHLS

By Isabel Tuisl

As the first female mayor in Coralville’s history, Meghann Foster takes care to lead each City Council meeting in a way that ensures residents feel heard and understand the political process.

After introducing each item on the agenda, the first-term mayor takes time to explain each issue and why it's being discussed.

“I work really hard to share information about the city, but I also really try to listen to residents and make sure that they feel heard,” Foster said. “A lot of people just want someone to listen to them and to know that city officials care about what's happening to their constituents.”

Foster decided to run when Coralville’s previous mayor, John Lundell, announced his retirement in July 2021. Foster has lived in Coralville since 2001 and started serving on Coralville’s City Council in 2018.

City Council Member Laurie Goodrich served alongside Foster on the council and continues to serve with her today. Goodrich said she wasn’t surprised when Foster ran for mayor. “She has leadership qualities and strengths that really fit that role well,” Goodrich said. “She’s got lots of enthusiasm and interest in what’s going on in the city and a family that’s involved in a lot of things.”

Foster said her communication skills are a unique quality she has brought to the position. She added that she loves collaborating with others.

“I feel like anytime there is an accomplishment in the city, it's very rare for it to be the result of just one person's work,” Foster said. “We have a tremendous city staff, I have amazing council colleagues and I try to really foster that environment of collaboration and making sure that we are working together in the best interests of the community.”

Foster said she is most proud of how the City Council spent their American Rescue Plan Act fund money. Last year, Coralville was granted $3.5 million in ARPA funds — significantly less than the $18.3 million that Iowa City received.

“We had to work to make those dollars go as far as they could,” Foster said.

The City of Coralville distributed $2.7 million toward addressing COVID related revenue loss, and the rest was split up between several nonprofits, including the Excluded Workers Fund, the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, the Iowa City Housing Trust Fund and the Coralville Community Food Pantry.

“We had some really great conversations with the council about how we wanted to use this money that we knew was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Foster said.

Foster, 47, said a two-year term is not enough time to get everything done, so she plans on running for a second term. She said one of her future goals is to increase access to social services and resources in the community.

City Council has partnered closely with the Coralville Community Food Pantry to help build a new facility. “I love the idea of the food pantry becoming kind of a social services or community resource hub, given the location of it,” Foster said.

She is also excited about the Inclusive Economic Development Plan, which will look at ways the county can expand economic development opportunities for

underestimated and underrepresented communities.

“That's really important to me because I want to give communities the opportunity to build that generational wealth and to expand our definition of economic development,”

Foster said. “It's not just all of the big flashy projects, it’s making sure that we are business friendly for a variety of people to start and grow businesses in our community.”

Foster said she loves being the mayor and spokesperson for the community, but she has also worked for the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications as a lecturer and an adjunct instructor. She recently accepted a new position in the Tippie College of Business teaching communications and writing and will start this role in the Fall.

Foster also serves as the community engagement coordinator for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program. Foster said trying to balance everything can feel overwhelming.

“It's sometimes hard to feel grounded,” she said. “It's kind of hard for someone like me that's a workaholic, but I really try to set boundaries, especially when I’m with my family and my kids. That helps center me in the midst of all the craziness.”

While she receives a lot of support, Foster said there are still meetings where she is the only woman in the room.

“I mean, it happens all the time,” Foster said. “We still have a long way to go. But I feel fortunate that here there is a lot of support for women and women leadership.”

Foster’s election as mayor of Coralville came 98 years after neighboring Iowa City elected its first female mayor. Emma Harvat was elected mayor of Iowa City in 1923. Harvat was the first woman to be elected to a town of more than 10,000 people.

“[It] is one of the things that I'm most proud of in my professional work,” said Foster, adding that she’s grateful to voters for trusting her in the role. “I know it took 150 years for Coralville to have a female mayor, [but] I look forward to finding ways to make sure that door is open for other women that would be interested in public service.”

Age: 31

Role:

Iowa State Senator for the 43rd District

Favorite Part of Coralville: Attending the 4th of July festivities

Even though Zach Wahls only permanently moved to Coralville with his wife in 2017, his connections to the city and community go back to his teenage years.

Attending Northwest Junior High School, working as a lifeguard at the Coralville Community Aquatic Center and watching the fireworks and the parade at the 4thFest are some of the memories and experiences he still cherishes today.

“During that time, I made a lot of friends that I am still friends with from Coralville, and I learned a lot about how to be a good worker during my summer job at the outdoor pool,” Wahls said.

Today, the 31 year old will enter his fifth year as an Iowa state senator and has been involved in the community in many different ways since his election in 2018.

Wahls also had the opportunity to work alongside the men and women of the city government of Coralville and wants to be an effective advocate for the people he represents. Wahls’s connections to the city have always been strong and the efforts and support from the people surrounding him have made it feel like home.

“There is a strong sense of community, and it is very easy to feel like you are part of a small-town even though Coralville hasn’t been a small town for a very long time,” Wahls said.

By Lea Zeitler

Savannah Blake/The Gazette Coralville’s first female mayor Meghann Foster poses for a portrait at Coralville City Hall on Dec. 14, 2021.

Coral Ridge Mall turns 25

Despite major changes to retail landscape, mall continues as an economic engine.

By Gretchen Lenth

Before the Coral Ridge Mall opened, you couldn’t buy a pair of pants in Coralville. At least that’s what Kelly Hayworth, Coralville’s city administrator, said former Coralville Mayor Mike Kattchee liked to tell

Shopping in Coralville shifted dramatically when the Coral Ridge Mall opened its doors in 1998, and it quickly grew into a massive — and sometimes controversial — financial success. Property taxes from the mall supported the small city as it grew into the retail and hospitality giant it is today.

But the mall culture of two decades ago is little more than a memory. Competition from online retailers and shifting consumer habits have challenged the health of malls across the country.

The Coral Ridge Mall — which celebrates its 25th birthday this July — isn’t immune to these challenges. The mall’s original design as a hybrid shopping and entertainment venue prepared it to survive in today’s retail climate, mall staff and Coralville city officials said.

How Coral Ridge came to Coralville

Back in 1995, Coralville didn’t give the impression of being a likely candidate for a superregional mall. The city’s population barely squeaked past 12,000, according to U.S. census data, and existing local retail options were sparse.

With online shopping in its infancy, most Coralville residents drove to downtown Iowa City or the Sycamore Mall — known today as the Iowa City Marketplace — to make their purchases.

At the same time, General Growth Properties, the second-largest mall developer in the country at the time, was looking to start a new project in Iowa. The Des Moines-based company played a role in opening most of Iowa’s malls, including the Northpark Mall in Davenport and the South Ridge Mall in Des Moines. But it had

been years since General Growth last developed a mall in its home state. When the company searched for a new market to tap into, it quickly landed on Johnson County.

John Bergstrom, the now-retired senior vice president of General Growth, said the company looked at potential locations in Iowa City but quickly settled on a spot in Coralville nestled between Interstate 80 and Highway 6.

The land’s proximity to The University of Iowa as well as its location near the interstate would make the mall easily accessible to those outside Coralville and even Johnson County.

“It was perfect,” Bergstrom said. “We identified the site day one. It wasn’t rocket science.”

Breaking ground

The location also provided the mall with plenty of space to work with, but the original 600,000 square feet of land General Growth purchased for the project increased as the mall grew in scope — twice.

“When we initially started looking for a project, it was not nearly this large,” Bergstrom said. “So, our initial land acquisition turned out not to be enough. So, we had to go back to surrounding landowners two times to accommodate a million square feet plus.”

By opening day on July 26, 1998, the mall housed five anchor stores — including Target, Younkers, JCPenney and Sears — and 90 tenants within 1.1 million square feet of space.

General Growth’s scale as a national developer allowed them to leverage relationships the company had with merchants that may not have considered Iowa before, Bergstrom said. Old Navy and Abercrombie & Fitch were among the national brands new to Iowa that signed on to open locations in Coralville.

But some of the mall’s anchors weren’t new to the area. Sears announced its relocation from the Sycamore Mall to the Coral Ridge Mall early in the mall’s development. JCPenney moved from the Old

Liz Martin/The Gazette Cars fill the Coral Ridge Mall parking lot on April 15, 2010.

as anchors finish construction or as lingering vacancies get filled. Save for the Children’s Museum, which opened the following year, everything at Coral Ridge was ready on the same day, and the space was 100 percent leased — something he said was rare for the time.

He even remembers turning away potential tenants who wanted to open stores at Coral Ridge after it opened. “We were spoiled,” Bergstrom said.

improvements to an exit off Interstate 80 that couldn’t yet handle incoming mall traffic. As these improvements piled on, so did the expenses. That’s where the City of Coralville stepped in.

In 1997, the Coralville City Council approved the creation of the Mall/Highway 6 tax increment financing district — or TIF district. TIF districts take property taxes paid within that district and use that

develthe tap County. senior the locations in spot in 80 University interaccessible John“We rocket with origiGeneral increased for a Bergacquisition had to two feet the including Sears — square national leverage with considered and the signed on weren’t its the develOld

Capitol Mall in downtown Iowa City to Coral Ridge before opening day. While a Younkers remained in business at the Old Capitol Mall, the location later closed in early 2005.

Paired with these relocations was a general sense of uncertainty among Iowa City and Coralville residents. One Iowa City Press Citizen opinions column from Coral Ridge’s opening day ran with the headline “Mall impact is too much to ignore.”

“It had impact, but that’s one of the reasons we were able to bring the anchors here because they felt they were undersized or that they weren’t getting as much of a market as they could at a more convenient location.” Bergstrom said.

Filling community needs

The Coral Ridge Mall allowed visitors to do more than shop for clothing and shoes.

The Iowa Children’s Museum, for example, held temporary residence in a few locations — including the Sycamore Mall — before opening its permanent location at the Coral Ridge Mall in late 1999. A local ice-skating group couldn’t find a place in Coralville that allowed them to skate year-round, Hayworth said. Then The Rink opened at the mall, which provided the community with an NHL regulation ice rink.

“Another neat thing about how they did the mall is they wanted to fill community needs,” Hayworth said. “And they felt that

was an important part of what they were doing.”

An incubator for urban development

Before shoppers could step foot in the mall, however, it needed to be built, and dirt needed to be moved. Crews moved much more dirt than anyone had anticipated, Bergstrom said.

The way the land sloped created a challenge, Bergstrom said, and this required the area be leveled before construction could begin.

Other snags during construction included water and sewer installations and

“ We were doing projects all around the country, but the team — from design and leasing — we were all Iowans. We wanted to make this go, make it a project that we were all very, very invested in. And the results spoke for that.

— John Bergstrom Retired Vice President of General Growth

Now retired, Bergstrom lives with his wife in Coralville and visits the mall periodically, he said. By the time Bergstrom left General Growth — just before the company declared bankruptcy and its properties were acquired by Brookfield Properties in 2018 — the company was based in Chicago and had acquired or developed over 200 malls across the country.

Still, the Coral Ridge Mall was one of Bergstrom’s favorites to work on, and he said most members of his team would say the same thing.

“We were doing projects all around the country, but the team — from design and leasing — we were all Iowans,” Bergstrom said. “We wanted to make this go, make it a project that we were all very, very invested in. And the results spoke for that.”

With most malls he’s developed, Bergstrom said it’s typical to support the project a year or two after it opens to help

Buzz Orr/The Gazette Construction work continues at the new Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville on March 19, 1998.

Buzz Orr/The Gazette

Construction of Coral Ridge Mall along Interstate 80 in Coralville.

Buzz Orr/The Gazette Construction workers Rob Boorman (right) of Iowa City and Rick Buelow of Center Point work on a design for Scheels All Sports store on June 22, 1998, at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

mall so of Council Mall/High— or property that

Then and now: Coral Ridge Mall

Malls have changed immensely since the Coral Ridge Mall opened. Comparing the store directories from 1998 to 2023, shows how much has changed – or stayed the same – during the last 25 years:

• 25-year stores: Coral Ridge’s 1998 directory shows 68 storefronts. About two out of five stores remain at the mall in 2023 – many even in the same location.

• Anchor stores: Dillard’s, JCPenney, Scheels All Sports, Target and Best Buy hold their same spots (Scheel’s expanded in 2020). Sears closed in 2013, replaced by a handful of retailers in 2017. Younkers closed in 2018, replaced by Ashley HomeStore in 2019.

• Retail trends: As expected, store types have changed with the times. Gone are ‘90s era stores like Disc Jockey Music Superstore and Ritz Camera One Hour Photo. Remember when Coral Ridge had The Disney Store?

• Snacks and restaurants: Four restaurants/snack storefronts have lasted 25 years (all in their same location) – Great American Cookies, Panda Express, Panera Bread, and Pretzelmaker. Sit-down restaurants Old Country Buffett (now Shoe Dept. Encore) and Bennigan’s (now Mellow Mushroom) have closed. Other restaurants that have closed include A&W, Cinnamonster, Orange Julius, and Taco Bell.

• Entertainment and activities: The Iowa Children’s Museum, Coral Ridge 10 Theatres, ice rink, carousel and play area opened with the mall in 1998. Planet Fitness took over five storefront spaces and opened in February 2023.

2023 Directory

money to make improvements to the area, Hayworth said. In the case of the Coral Ridge Mall project, General Growth paid taxes and a portion of the cost of projects like road improvements and sewer installation.

The Coral Ridge Mall’s initial valuation was estimated based on other malls in the state. But a new major mall in Iowa hadn’t opened since the ‘70s, and few could compete with Coral Ridge’s size. As the project gained its legs, it quickly became evident that the mall would be bigger than imagined.

“What happened was that the actual value of the mall ended up being about 250 percent higher than what we had estimated,” Hayworth said. “And that simply was because of the success of the mall, the size of the mall, and being a new facility.”

Because of this success, the mall’s TIF district generated more money than it needed for its own improvements. In the years following the mall’s opening, several businesses sprouted within the district. First came Kohl’s and Wal-Mart, and after that came a cluster of businesses like PetCo and Texas Roadhouse on the other side of the Interstate 80 interchange from the mall.

But this wasn’t the end to urban development incubated by the mall’s TIF district, as plans were underway to turn an industrial park off First Avenue into an entertainment venue.

“Because of those dollars that we talked about that became more than we needed to pay off the improvements, they had a goal

to redevelop the area that now became the Iowa River Landing,” Hayworth said. “And the council decided to take some of those excess TIF dollars and use it to help start that redevelopment process.”

Hayworth estimated 40 percent of the money used to create the Iowa River Landing — costs that ranged from land acquisition to cleanup of contaminated soil — came from tax revenue generated by the mall’s TIF district.

Though the Mall/Highway 6 TIF district, which was under a 20-year contract, dissolved in 2018, decisions surrounding the district weren’t without controversy. The city spent several years with legal challenges to the city’s plan for TIF revenues. Some of this came from a misunderstanding of what a TIF district is or where the money comes from, Hayworth said. The city eventually prevailed in a lawsuit decided by the Iowa Supreme Court, allowing it to connect the retail areas via a connection of the boundaries using Interstate 80 as the connector.

“ What happened was that the actual value of the mall ended up being about 250 percent higher than what we had estimated. And that simply was because of the success of the mall, the size of the mall, and being a new facility.

— Kelly Hayworth Coralville’s City Adminstrator

The Coral Ridge mall reshaped the local retail landscape, too. Several stores relocated from Iowa City to the Coralville mall, leading both Iowa City malls to reinvent themselves. The idea that tax revenues from Coral Ridge being used to create the Iowa River Landing, also raised eyebrows.

Hayworth, however, described the two’s relationship as complementary.

“People that can go to one can actually go to the other and maybe attract more people from a longer distance because of the fact that they have more options.”

Adapting to new trends

Monica Hiles, the general manager for the Coral Ridge Mall, has worked in various positions at the mall since 1998. She remembers opening day vividly.

“It was crazy. We had people lined up all the way through the parking lot waiting for the doors to open,” Hiles said.

“And then, once the doors opened, the shoppers just came running in. It was really an exciting time.”

More than 12 million people visited the mall in the first year, General Growth estimated at the one year anniversary. The shopping experience for Iowans today looks different than it did 25 years ago.

A 2020 report from Coresight Research estimated that 25 percent of U.S. malls will close by 2025, with the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly accelerating the transition from brick-and-mortar shopping to e-commerce.

According to data from the Johnson County Assessor’s Office, the commercial parcels owned by the Coral Ridge Mall were collectively valued at around $130 million in 2013. This number dropped to $97.5 million in 2023, with some sections of the mall experiencing greater losses than others. These decreases can be seen prior to the pandemic, as the greatest drop in valuation occurred between 2017 and 2018.

Despite this, the Coral Ridge Mall currently maintains 101 active tenants, according to Brookfield Property’s website.

Hiles said she feels fortunate to work where she does, given the current state of the mall industry. She said other malls in the are facing greater vacancies, including Coral Ridge’s sister mall, the Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.

Coral Ridge still deals with the same issues as other malls, Hiles said, requiring flexibility. Instead of competing against

e-commerce, Target bution

online their extremely online slow gle has they’ve closures.

Hiles departure replaced have ing around Similarly, remodel space have venues.

Career January studio Cedar vacant Planet Hiles

Buzz Orr/The Gazette

Construction worker Norman Daddario of Coralville works inside the Coral Ridge Mall on March 19, 1998, in Coralville.

Stephen Mally/The Gazette Coral Ridge Mall in an aerial photograph in Coralville on May 14, 2014.

the was the Growth Iowans years Research will pandemtransition e-comJohnson commercial Mall $130 to sections losses seen drop and Mall tenants, website. work of in including Creek same requiring against

e-commerce, some stores — including Target and Scheels — have become distribution centers for online shopping.

“The stores that have embraced the online shopping and made that a part of their brick-and-mortar location have done extremely well,” Hiles said. “I think that online shopping is here to stay.”

In contrast, she said stores that are slow to adapt to the change in retail struggle more than others. While Coral Ridge has been willing to embrace changes, they’ve had to overcome individual store closures.

One loss that left the biggest impact on Hiles was the anchor store Younkers’ departure in 2018, which was later replaced by Ashley HomeStore in 2019.

Some mall vacancies at Coral Ridge have been filled by the expansion of existing stores. Scheels expanded its location by around 20,000 square feet in 2020. Similarly, Target spent $10 million on a remodel the same year.

When malls fail to find a retailer to fill space left vacant by a store closure, some have turned to entertainment or service venues.

Northpark Mall opened a Goodwill Career and Support Services facility in January and currently offers a dance studio and a dart arena. Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids — which currently has two vacant spaces for anchor stores — opened a Planet Fitness, a game room, and a church. Hiles said she’s also heard of casinos being

“You know, when the mall opened in 1998, we were the first mall in the area to include a lot of entertainment aspects such as the Children's Museum and the ice arena and the carousel,” Hiles said. “And now, after all these years, we're seeing that is the trend of the future.”

While stores have come and gone over the years at the Coral Ridge Mall, Hiles said it still feels more-or-less the same.

Comparing a mall directory from 1998 to a directory from this year, 29 businesses have continued to operate at Coral Ridge for the past 25 years.

Dawn Bearce, the store manager for Spencer’s Gifts, is the only manager who has stayed with the mall since 1998.

COVID-19.

“I feel like people have just discovered Spencer’s, for some reason,” Bearce said. “I think people were so tired of being cooped up that they just wanted to get out — have some kind of normal.”

While she has visited other malls in Iowa and noticed empty stores, Bearce said Coral Ridge managers have done well with getting spaces filled, even if the process can take some time.

Bearce said Coral Ridge is cleaner and better lit compared to other malls as well.

“I don’t see that the mall is going to go anywhere,” she added.

built inside malls to fill up empty space. The Coral Ridge Mall also opened a Planet Fitness earlier this year — which only has an entrance from the mall’s exteri or — b

tainment is an old practice for the

She enjoys her job because of the variety of products offered by her store and due to the friendships she’s made with long-term employees and other mall managers. Business has also been especially good for her store; in 2021, Spencer’s became a million-dollar store for the first

Hiles remained similarly optimistic about the mall’s future and said she noticed a trend where people are beginning to realize the value of visiting stores to have a tactile experience with the things they buy.

“It seemed like there was a period where it was very much just shopping-focused, where people came into the mall, got their shopping done, and left,” Hiles said. “And, since the pandemic, we’re really seeing — I’ve seen — that come full circle, where the mall is becoming that

David Scrivner/The Gazette

Shoppers browse through the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville on Dec. 26, 2011. Thousands of customers flocked to the mall to shop and exchange gifts after Christmas.

David Scrivner/The Gazette

Thousands of cars are parked at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville on Dec. 26, 2011. Thousands of customers flocked to the mall to shop and exchange gifts after Christmas.

“

I don’t see that the mall is going to go anywhere.

— Dawn Bearce Store Manager Spencer’s Gifts

‘This library is a little magic’

The Coralville Public Library went from humble beginnings to the city’s literature hub.

By Ailis McCardle

It's hard to believe the Coralville Public Library — which can often be seen filled with librarians and patrons who weave through the stacks — got its start in the basement of Coralville City Hall. Upon its founding in 1965, the library’s staff consisted entirely of volunteers, and it housed just over 2,000 donated books and a brand-new set of encyclopedias.

The community has eight Coralville moms — plus Charles Dinsmore — to thank, present-day Coralville Library Director Alison Ames Galstad said. The group spearheaded the community

initiative to start the library by holding a bake sale and a bazaar managed by local Girl Scouts. It started with an initial contribution of $46.78 from the Girl Scouts.

“The community has always been very supportive, and the city has always prioritized the library,” Galstad said. “You can really still feel the kind of grassroots love. People really wanted the library to come into existence.”

The library has grown with the community. It would later relocate to the Fesler Building in 1967, where it shared a space with the Recreation Department until a new library building was opened at its current location at 1401 5th St. in 1987.

Coralville Public Library

Franklin the Turtle, from the children's book series of the same name, visits with residents during the Coralville Public Library's 35th anniversary.

The library nearly doubled in size during renovations that were completed in May 2008.

Today, the library serves around 42,000 active cardholders and offers a large collection of both print books and downloadable materials — a total of around 166,000 items. The library also maintains a a 1,000 square foot facility – The Iowa Writer’s Library – at the Hyatt Regency in the Iowa River Landing. The hotel branch has about 800 books written by former students, graduates and faculty of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.

Retired English teacher and Iowa City resident Vicki Lehman, who was taking a group of out-of-town English teachers on a tour of local libraries, said the Coralville library has its own special charm.

“It’s a very welcoming space,” Lehman said. “This big open space with the art, the light. I think that’s what people need when they come to the library. This library is a little magic that way. But of course, all libraries are a little magic.”

When Galstad first started working at the Coralville library in 1998, she said there was only one computer for public access, and the library catalogs hadn’t been digitized yet. Now, there are 36 public computers available and laptops and mobile hotspots available for checkout.

With a yearly budget of over $2 million and a total staff of 32 people, the library offers a wide variety of services outside of just housing books, DVDs and audiobooks for the community.

The Coralville library still has plans to grow and expand its collections — especially

community outreach programs, Galstad said.

“As Coralville continues to grow, we’re doing a lot more outreach,” Galstad said. “Coralville has this fabulous fabric of citizens now, and we’re trying to anticipate the needs of that community as it’s growing and changing.”

The library’s programs include partnerships with the food pantry, their community fridge, free classes for those learning English and the relatively new community navigator’s position. The community navigator helps Coralville residents connect with resources they might need.

Amanda Elkins, current director of the library board and board member since 2018, said she was proud of the level of community support provided by the library, adding that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the library had moved to strengthen their community engagement programs. She also hopes to foster more diversity across the library staff and the library board to better reflect Coralville’s changing demographics.

“During COVID, we really saw a need for the library to step in with some of those other services. Helping people with internet access, filling out paperwork for rent assistance and utility assistance, things like that,” Elkins said.

Assistant library director Ellen Alexander said she spends at least two shifts a week working at the reference desk. Alexander has spent time there helping Coralville citizens with a wide range of issues like assisting a gentleman who had never had an app on his phone beforehand helping people print important paperwork.

Faces

OF CORALVILLE

RENEE PERSON

Age: 38

Occupation: Principal at Kirkwood Elementary

Favorite Childhood Memory: 4th of July parade and fireworks in Coralville

The children’s Wee Read program was so popular it had to be split into two separate times “The room was just overflowing,” Galstad said of Wee Read’s attendance. There’s also the more recent addition of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a book gifting program that mails free books to Johnson County children from birth until they begin school. A smiling cardboard cutout of Parton dressed in a pink sparkly jumpsuit welcomes kids near the shelves of comics and picture books in the children’s section.

Alexander said the library isn’t just a place to connect with others, check out books, or find resources; the library hosts the whole spectrum of the Coralville community and people of all beliefs, ages, and socioeconomic statuses. More than anything, Alexander said libraries are one of few spaces left that allow people to simply exist without having to buy anything or prove themselves.

“It’s important to read and find stories like our own, but also different — that builds empathy,” Alexander said. “It’s how we learn about other perspectives. We’re really an essential piece of a democratic society, libraries are.”

Kirkwood Elementary School is one of the many buildings that makes Coralville unique. Along with the building’s rich history, the people who work there maintain school spirit and facilitate learning.

Renee Person, Kirkwood Elementary’s principal, helps accomplish just that. She has served as the school’s principal since 2008 and loves what she does every single day.

“One of my favorite experiences has been the diversity I have been able to experience while at Kirkwood Elementary,” Person said. “The beautiful diverse experiences that have been shared with me have made me a better human being.”

Nearly 70 percent of the students in the 269-student school identify as Black, Latino, Asian or multi-racial, according to Iowa Department of Education enrollment data for the 2022-23 school year.

Person believes the school’s dynamic sets it apart from most. As the leader of the school’s staff, Person ensures they are able to leave an impact on their students and the community.

“We have students come back year after year after leaving Kirkwood to visit — it is truly a home-away-from-home and a labor of love to work in this school,” Person said. “I am blessed to lead such a caring, diverse, and compassionate group of people. I am made better by the relationships I am able to build with our families and students. Kirkwood is a truly special place.”

By Lauren Swanson

Coralville has this fabulous fabric of citizens now, and we’re trying to anticipate the needs of that community as it’s growing and changing.

— Alison Ames Galstad, Library Director

Photos by Tionna Tobias and Isabel Tuisl

Ambassador Program fills gaps, builds community

City hopes to make grant-funded program permanent based on initial impacts.

By Alex Kautzman

As a child of immigrants, Samira Abdalla is no stranger to deciphering and explaining information that would otherwise be difficult to understand.

Her family moved to Iowa City from Ethiopia when she was 8 years old. She remembers translating for her parents and helping them fill out forms, which she said is much like the work she does now as the Coralville Library’s Community Resource Navigator.

“I feel like my personal experience as a minority population, as someone who helps family members apply for things, I'm pretty well-versed in a lot of resources,” she said. “I translated for my mom literally every time she was in the hospital. So I was already like this little assistant growing up. So that really helped me prepare for this position.”

As the CRN, Abdalla, 24, helps residents connect to community resources and social services. She was still completing the practicum for her master’s degree in public health at the University of Iowa when she started her job as the CRN last June. She described it as the perfect first job after grad school where she gets a lot of experience doing meaningful work for her community.

One of Abdalla’s major tasks was creating and leading a Community Ambassador Program. The program, composed of 11 Coralville residents, aims to further bridge the gap between underserved community members and useful resources. Abdalla said she had to start up the program “from scratch” and decide how she wanted it to look.

“We wanted it to be a diverse group of people that kind of represent the diversity that Coralville needs, but at the same time, we want to make sure that these people

have establishment in the community, like they have some community involvement or experience,” Abdalla said. “That way, they can help connect the gap we are seeing at the library. That's our way of trying to reach everyone.”

The ambassadors attend quarterly meetings and visit with local social services with the hope that if they meet a resident that needs help, the ambassadors can point them in the right direction. These services include the Coralville Food Pantry, the Bike Library and Houses into Homes, a nonprofit that provides furniture and household items for people in need.

Omega Dancel, a paraeducator at West High, joined the ambassador program to help immigrants and residents new to Coralville. Dancel is an immigrant from the Philippines and said she remembers feeling lost and intimidated when she first moved to Iowa. She said she was lucky to have met kind people that supported her, and she wants to be that person for someone else.

moments as an am bassador came when she was thanked after helping someone through food insecurity. The person told her it was the first time in weeks they had three meals in a day.

“I think, just knowing that there is a huge food insecurity, and, in this case, I got them food in that immediate situation, but also got them connected with the food pantry to get deliveries because they're not able to get food. But once you're more connected, it's easier to help get other people connected,” Hovda said.

I am so grateful and feel very blessed to have been part of such a wonderful program that shows true compassion and kindness to everyone in its community.

“When I decided to raise my family here in Coralville, I promised myself to give back to the community that embraced me when I moved here,” Dancel said. “I am so grateful and feel very blessed to have been part of such a wonderful program that shows true compassion and kindness to everyone in its community.”

Margaux Hovda, a grad student at the University of Iowa, joined the ambassador program to meet more people in the community. She said it has been fun getting involved and learning about what resources are available.

Hovda said one of the most memorable

The Community Resource Navigator position, and subsequently the ambassador program, is funded by an Iowa Department of Public Health grant and the Coralville Public Library Foundation.

Abdalla’s position will run for 15 months, but library assistant director Ellen Alexander said the library hopes to find funding to extend it after seeing the difference Abdalla and the ambassadors have already made.

“There's a quote that goes, ‘Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.’ When our budgets are stretched thin is when we are helping people the most,” Alexander said. “Everybody needs help. It's great to provide services to everybody, but I feel like now we're really getting to people that really, really need our help.”

ABOVE: Samira Abdall, Coralville Library’s Community Resource Navigator and Ellen Alexander, Library Assistant Director.

Source: Coralville Public Library

Abdalla also hosts community-wide events for people to meet and socialize.

Every Tuesday morning, Abdalla and some of the ambassadors run the Chat’n Chai event in the library café.

Though it wasn’t part of her job description, Abdalla said hosting the events help connect with community members and make her and the ambassadors seem more approachable for those seeking help.

“There was a guy once that came and got chai, and eventually he came up to me and asked, ‘Are you the person that helps people?’” she said. “He was a homeless person, and he asked me for resources and assistance. And that's exactly what I wanted out of this Chat’n Chai.”

The outreach has proved successful for Abdalla, who said she is getting recognized and has more people asking for her by name. She said it is vital to have a designated trained person at the library for people to come to.

— Omega Dancel, Community Ambassador

Coralville’s Sizzling Restaurant Scene

By Ailis McCardle

Coralville’s growing collection of locally owned restaurants and breweries have become not only a great place to grab a bite, but important pillars of both the local economy and community gathering spaces.

From long-term staples like the Iowa River Power Restaurant to brand-new charcuterie and deli shop Chef’s Board, Coralville’s restaurateurs have a vested interest in seeing the town — and its citizens — flourish.

Chris Querrey, partial owner and general manager of Wig and Pen Pizza Pub — which will celebrate its upcoming 30th birthday next June — grew up in the Coralville and Iowa City area. Querrey’s father, Richard, purchased the location from local lawyer Tom Riley in 1993. The pub, right on the Iowa City-Coralville line, happily draws residents from both towns.

“Dad actually knew Tom [Riley] because his daughter was bartending at the Airliner in downtown Iowa City while he was managing there,” Querrey said, as a testament to just how close-knit the area’s restaurant community can be. Richard Querrey, now in his 70’s, still comes to work at Wig and Pen when he can.

According to Chris Querrey, Saturdays — and especially game days — at Wig and Pen can be a little hectic, with wait times for to-go food up to two hours and all the restaurant’s 28 tables full. Known for its pizza, sandwiches, and wide variety of appetizers, there’s something to satisfy even the pickiest eater at Wig and Pen, but Querrey is the opposite of picky.

favorite the the regulars Rebecca, operation not with restaurants. hospitality sity and Kass, Brewery, get don’t if they’re regular called teur that

selection

rotating house both

Ayrton Breckenridge/The Daily Iowan Patrons eat at 30Hop in Coralville on May 11, 2023.

“People are always asking me about my favorite pizza. It’s whatever one is currently in front of me,” he said.

Business and pizza aside, Querrey claims the most important aspect of his business is the relationships built between his staff and regulars over the years. He even met his wife, Rebecca, who now also plays a key role in the operation of the restaurant, through working there.

“We try and treat people like friends and not customers. Take a little bit more time with people… We don’t have a thousand restaurants. We just have one,” he said.

The city has long been known for its hospitality industry – because of the Univer sity of Iowa and proximity to Interstate 80 –and now has almost 100 restaurants.

The same sentiment was echoed by Kris Kass, Chief Operations Officer at ReUnion Brewery, just down Second Street in Coralville.

“Customers are what makes it fun. You get attached to your regulars, and then if you don’t see them, you wonder where they are, if they’re okay,” Kass said. “We actually had a regular who had a heart attack, and his wife called to let us know he might not be in for a while.”

ReUnion, established by local restauran teur Jim Mondanaro in 2015 in the building that housed Mondo’s, has just over 15 beers — all brewed in house — on tap, including a selection of established favorites along with a rotating cast of seasonal offerings.

Mondanaro also owns Joseph’s Steak house and the newest ReUnion location, both in downtown Iowa City.

Kass, who’s worked with Mondanaro at a

But right now, we have some very good, fruity sours that I really like,” she said.

Kass stressed the importance of the staff at ReUnion, saying that they frequently had employees who started out washing dishes and bussing tables who would eventually end up helping create new dishes or become some of the restaurant’s strongest servers.

“My staff is more important than me. It’s sort of like a farmer growing a field. You have to invest in your employees, or you won’t see any growth,” Kass said.

Growth was also a popular topic with Seth Hershey, owner of dinner spot Vesta at the Iowa River Landing.Hershey is excited about his brand-new project, Chef’s Board, a charcuterie and deli shop adjacent to Vesta, which debuted in May.

Vesta was established one week before the 2008 flood, and the opening at Chef’s Board has gone much more smoothly. Currently only open for lunch, Hershey

laces OF CORALVILLE P

IOWA RIVER POWER RESTAURANT

Established:

Location:

501 First Avenue, Coralville

Owner:

Danise Petsel, for 21 years

Fun Fact:

The restaurant is one of the oldest dining options in Coralville

variety of his area restaurants for approximately 15 years, said that they still have lunch at ReUnion together every Monday. They always get the same thing — the southwest salad and a veggie pizza — but add sausage.

“Everything here is home made. Most of the recipes come from Jim’s parents — it’s truly a family restaurant,” Kass says.

The Iowa River Power Restaurant is a staple within the Coralville community, and its history brings guests from all over. It offers old-school vibes, friendly service staff, and a famous riverside view.

Behind the scenes, the steak and seafood restaurant looks exactly like what you might expect: a tight-knit family. The owner and manager, Danise Petsel, has worked with several of her staff members for more than 15 years — some for even longer. Petsel said she focuses on creating and sustaining a strong work/life balance between her staff and maintaining a family dynamic in the kitchen.

The building housed a turn of the century power plant that operated until 1968. It was sold to the City of Coralville about a year later, who sold it to a group of businessmen a couple years later. It opened as a restaurant in 1977.

The restaurant makes about two-thirds of its revenue from private events, including weddings and its famous Sunday brunch. “There will be upwards of 500 people coming in every Sunday for brunch,” Petsel said.

One of Petsel’s favorite memories was starting the restaurant's four for $44 take-out meal plan during the pandemic. It brought in more business than she imagined, and the appreciation the restaurant received from the community was overwhelming.

By Mason Miller

Brian Ray/The Gazette

A group of women enter the Wig and Pen restaurant May 24, 2011 in Coralville.

Heidi Owen/The Daily Iowan

The muraled-facade of ReUnion Brewrey is seen on June 9, 2023.

My staff is more important than me. It’s sort of like a farmer growing a field. You have to invest in your employees, or you won’t see any growth.

—

Kris Kass, Chief Operations Officer

at ReUnion

Brewery

Places OF CORALVILLE

Tavern Blue, a restaurant that features mini golf, dart boards, and authentic wood-fire pizza, is a recent addition to Coralville’s ongoing expansions. The restaurant opened in 2021 and features an island theme, which is illustrated by the surfboards hung on the walls and the mini golf course’s nautical aesthetic.

One of Tavern Blue’s co-owners, Karim Abdel-Malek, isn’t just in the restaurant business. He also teaches as a professor for the University of Iowa College of Engineering.

“I started out at the university 30 years ago, and I still love it here,” Abdel-Malek said. “I direct a research center called the Iowa Technology Institute, and my own research program is called the Virtual Soldier Research. Investing in companies is a hobby.”

Abdel-Malek said he enjoys running a business in Coralville because he loves the totality of what the city is about. He described the city as classy and efficient and was surprised by its growth compared to its population when he first moved.

In addition to games, drinks, and a beach snacks appetizer menu, Tavern Blue also brings in live musicians who perform at night on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant can be summarized by the philosophy written on its website: “word hard, play harder.”

By Lauren Swanson

graduate of the now-closed North England Culinary Institute — who’s alumni include chef Alton Brown and cookbook author Amanda Chantal Bacon — Hershey felt that the Coralville-Iowa City area was the perfect place to make his mark with his own restaurant.

“A lot of it has to do with the area hotels and the University of Iowa alumni who come back to town — a lot of them are more in-tune with the culinary scene, they’re more willing to try different things,” Hershey said.

One of the first locations to kickstart the city’s development at the Iowa River Landing, Vesta offers scratch-made appetizers and upscale dinner fare, along with a huge selection of over 60 varieties of wine. Hershey’s current favorite is a Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc called Decoy, from Duck-

horn Vineyards. He also recommended Vesta’s beef tenderloin from their dinner menu, which is served with a decadent truffle risotto.

Hershey attributed some of Vesta’s current success to its location and was optimistic about the development around the Iowa River Landing, saying he felt it was becoming Coralville’s new downtown.

“I remember 15, 20 years ago, when there were rumors about a casino being built out here, all kinds of things. The city of Coralville really kept trying and they brought the people in. Now there’s enough stuff to make an evening of it — hop around from place to place, grab an appetizer here, a glass of wine there — everyone’s really friendly. We’re so happy with how everything has developed.”

laces OF CORALVILLE P

MONICA’S

Established:

Location: 303 Second St, Coralville

Owner: Randy Larson

Fun Fact: 95 menu options, same chef for 32 years

Located on the Coralville Strip, Monica’s is known for its family-oriented environment and a baked ziti casserole made with extra cheese, a lobster cream sauce and Italian ham.

The restaurant is named after general manger Monica Meyer, who owner Randy Larson described as the business’s heartbeat. Monica’s opened its doors in 2002 and has remained a go-to stop for families and groups seeking variety in their food options and a customer-oriented experience.

Inside of Monica’s, customers are greeted with a team-centric environment and a chef who has worked on finessing the restaurant’s over 90 dishes for 32 years. Monica’s blends American favorites with Italian specialties, and pizza made with handmade dough and baked in an open-flame domed brick oven.

Monica’s routinely is lauded with awards as one of the area’s best overall restaurants. Larson said he is eager to make the place the best it can be. Moreover, he said Coralville is a city that wants its businesses to succeed, and city officials are motivated to help.

“I am always trying to be an asset for everyone,” Larson said. “And the neat thing — along with the relationships — is customers that come in a lot, they become friends more than customers.”

By Lea Zeitler

Tionna Tobias

Vesta, a Mediterranean inspired restaurant, is seen in the Iowa River Landing on May 3, 2023.

Cliff Jette/The Gazette

Executive chef Seth Hershey prepares a Greek pizza with eggplant, artichokes and olives at Vesta in Coralville on March 18, 2009.

History of Coralville

1844

Ezekiel Clark and Samuel Kirkwood establish a mill on the Iowa River and name the settlement Clarksville. The mill previously operated six years prior, but Clark and Kirkwood reopened and maintained it alongside co-owner Valentine Miller until 1903.

Coralville's mills - 1870

Harvard geologist Louis Agassiz visits the University of Iowa to study rock formations. He eventually discovers that the rocks were fossilized coral from the Devonian Period and between 359 and 419 million years old. Following this discovery, Ezekiel Clark renames the settlement Coralville and names his mill Coral Mill.

1800s

1873

Coralville is officially declared a town with a population of around 100 people. The city would not experience major growth until the 1920s and again between 1940-70.

1886

The Iowa River and Power Company opens. The facility was an economic engine until the plant was retired in 1968.

1856-1857

Clarksville provides aid to travelers on the Mormon trek west. A large group of Mormons, many from the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company, camped in modern day Coralville before beginning their trek to Utah.

1876

The Coralville schoolhouse, the town’s first school, opens. From its opening up until the 1930s, the building only had enough room to house about 40 students. The school was in part created thanks to a land donation from Ezekiel Clark’s family.

Map of landowners - 1870

1868

The Iowa Supreme Court desegregates public schools.

EzekielClark

Samuel Kirkwood

1921

Coralville establishes a town hall inside the Union Ecclesiastical Church. The building was originally built in 1892 and served as town hall until 1974, when a new facility was built. It is now maintained by the Johnson County Historical Society and moved locations several times before settling across from the 1876 schoolhouse.

1950s

Following massive population growth, Coralville Central School is built and serves as a second space for elementary students. Middle school students lacked a space of their own and attended classes in the basement of town hall.

1960s

Lacking the educational facilities for the city’s expanding population, Coralville votes to join Iowa City Community Schools. Samuel Kirkwood Elementary School for elementary students opens in 1964, with Northwest Junior High School opening in 1972.

1967

Coralville holds a contest to decide the city’s slogan, and the winning phrase is “Hub of Hospitality.” The winning title was established by Coralville’s growing hotel industry and the strip of businesses along US Highway 6.

1983

The 1876 schoolhouse receives a restoration following a fundraising campaign. The building is rededicated as the new center for the Johnson County Historical Society, and the celebration took place July 4th, 1983. This is the first official Fourth of July celebration in Coralville, and since then it has become one of the city’s most beloved traditions.

1998

The 1.2 millionsquare-foot Coral Ridge Mall officially opens with a movie theater, ice skating rink, and a children’s museum. National chains inside the mall include Target, Barnes & Noble, and Dillards. 1900s

1973

1949

Construction on an emergency spillway begins at the Coralville Reservoir, starting construction in 1949. The project is completed in 1958.

Coralville establishes a recreation commission, marking the birth of organized sports teams. The city focused much of its recreational activities on children. Local volunteer organizations like the Optimist Club and the American Legion helped coach and affiliate the children’s sports team. In the same year, the city turns the 1876 schoolhouse into a teen center.

Coralville celebrates the town’s 100th anniversary with the slogan “Lest We Forget.” The town’s history was collected and displayed by staff at the Coralville Public Library.

1965

The Coralville Public library opens. The new building is supported by a local Girl Scout troop who donated funds from a bake sale to the library construction efforts.

1993

Coralville undergoes hardships during the floods of 1993. For the first time ever, the heavy rainfall tops the spillway at Coralville Lake. President Bill Clinton declared Iowa a federal disaster site.

City leaders purchase the Hawk-I Truck Stop for $4 million. The truck stop, which sat near where Trader Joe’s is today, stood on the edge of an industrial park that would be developed into the Iowa River Landing.

2008

Flooding again impacts Coralville, with the Iowa River again setting a new record crest and water overtopping the spillway. The intersection at Highway 6 and 1st Avenue remained underwater for 10 days, with 200 businesses damaged or destroyed.

2000s 2005

Construction on a new city-owned hotel and conference center, operating today as Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Convention Center, is completed in what would become known as the Iowa River Landing.

2011

Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, a 472-seat venue, opens on the corner of 5th Street and 12th Avenue.

2020

Xtream Arena, a 5,100-seat arena, opens in the Iowa River Landing. The area is the home for the University of Iowa volleyball team and Iowa Heartlanders minor league hockey team, and hosts concerts and family events.

2023

Coralville celebrates its 150th anniversary with the slogan “Rich History, Brighter Future.”

1876 Coralville Schoolhouse

Coralville’s first school house still stands in town today. The two-room schoolhouse was built in 1876 on a third of the acre of land donated by the Ezekiel Clark family. It still stands in its original location on Fifth Street.

Classes for Coralville students were originally held on the first floor, and the second floor was used as the gymnasium and auditorium. Students were not grouped by age, but by ability. Once students mastered a level, they moved to the next level.

In the 1930s, enrollment averaged about 40 students. Student enrollment increased in the 1940s, so some classes were moved to the basement of the town hall and University High School in Iowa City.

Residents approved a public bond vote – totaling $108,000 – to build a new school, now known as Coralville Central, which began construction in spring 1949.

Seventh and eighth grade classes continued to be held in the Coralville Schoolhouse until an addition was added on to Coralville Central in 1951. At that point, the building became a warehouse for the city. In 1974, the City of Coralville signed a 50-year lease with the Johnson County Historical Society for the restoration and use of the schoolhouse as a local historical museum. The museum opened July 4, 1983.

Coralville is served by two school districts today, with three elementary schools (Wickham, Central and Kirkwood) within city limits, as well as Northwest Junior High. All are part of the Iowa City Community School District. The Clear Creek Amana schools serve the western portion of the city, with an elementary school slated for opening in August 2024.

By Kayce Drevline

Photo by Tionna Tobias

Coralville 4thFest

The city's annual 4th of July celebration attracts thousands of visitors for the multi-day festival.

Support American Farmers float — 1989

Clydesdales in the parade — 1992

Fourth of July parade — 1985

Fireworks shoot off over a ride at the carnival — 2022

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan

Jeff Sigmund/The Daily Iowan

The 4thFest banner leads the start of the parade — 2021

Cliff Jette/The Gazette

A classic fire engine in the 4thFest parade — 2008

City administrator thinks outside the box

Kelly Hayworth, Coralville’s city administrator for 36 years, emphasizes communication and fun in his work.

By Lea Zeitler

While working toward his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Iowa, Kelly Hayworth didn’t know much about the cities around his college campus. Today, the 62-year-old father and husband is entering his 36th year as Coralville city administrator, and he plays an essential role in developing the city and helping it move forward.

Serving as the City Manager since 1988 –a job he started at just 26 years old –Hayworth has arguably had the biggest impact on the city’s growth over the past 40 years. Hayworth went from a kid fascinated by the city’s history, neighborhoods and the people, to a visionary who has found ways for the community to grow faster than at any other point in the city’s history.

Having a city manager spend nearly all of his career in one place is rare.

Hayworth is known for being business savvy, unflappable and for building long-lasting relationships with people. He’s quick to point to others for the city’s successes. And he’s known for looking at ways to weave family and fun into city projects.

Hayworth encourages everyone on the team to follow along, and he wants staff to enjoy themselves no matter what they’re working on. His approach has been welcomed by many over the past years.

Hayworth said he feels motivated and excited by the frequent changes that come with his job. In the 1990s, it was planning and construction of the Coral Ridge Mall; more recently, it’s been the Hyatt Regency project and the Iowa River Landing Master Plan. The project took an industrial area, truck stop and adult bookstore and converted it into a retail destination, sports arena and hotel and convention center. Hayworth is also proud of the trail network across the community.

Joshua Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Area and Convention & Visitor Bureau, has worked closely alongside Hayworth for more than 20 years. Hayworth is a leader who sets the community up for success, Schamberger said.

“He is very open to ideas, suggestions and community in general, he always wants to do what is right and be inclusive,” Schamberger said.

Whatever the city decides to develop is

always in the best interest of Coralville and its people, Hayworth said. “We’ve got a very progressive council and mayor, and the community has done very exciting things.”

Hayworth has served five mayors and about 20 council members through the years. Longtime Mayor and council member Jim Fausett, and former Council member Tom Gill, recruited Hayworth from Creston, where he worked as a finance officer, to encourage him to apply as city administrator. Fausett, who served Coralville for more than 50 years in various capacities before his death in 2017 at age 85, said he knew Hayworth was special from the moment they met.

"I think Kelly has had a major role in everything we've done," Fausett recalled ahead of a reception honoring Hayworth’s 25 years with the city back in 2013. "At the time we had started to do some things and were beginning to not be afraid to take action on things, but people really got started when we hired Kelly, that turned out to be the best thing we could do, he could take it from there."

Hayworth was inducted into the Iowa

League of Cities Hall of Fame in 2018, and has earned many of the career-long accolades bestowed upon city managers while still working.

The importance of the job goes beyond planning, directing and managing the administration of municipal operations. It is more than coordinating assigned activities and talking to other departments, Hayworth said, adding that his number one priority lies in working with the individual citizen and the community.

“When they have a concern or a question, that is my job to talk to them and see what we can do to help them,” Hayworth said.

The constant conversation surrounding community can be felt throughout the city, and the pride of being a Coralville resident continues to grow. The approach Hayworth and his team take is based on providing everyone with the best opportunities possible.

“We should be able to have the best that we can possibly have — there is no reason not to, so that is what we should strive for,” Hayworth said.

When it comes to developing ideas that lead

Andy Abeyta/The Gazette City Administrator Kelly Hayworth listens to proceedings during a city council meeting at Coralville City Hall on Sept. 24, 2019.

Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette Coralville city administrator Kelly Hayworth (right) talks to Veteran's Memorial Committee member and parks and recreation director Sherri Proud at the conclusion of a meeting of the committee at Coralville City Hall, Iowa on Sept. 30, 2019.

to improvements within the city, working alongside groups and partners that think outside the box and are engaged have been an essential part of his work, he added. Receiving different perspectives from others and finding ways to bring those together has been a helpful tool in his approach. Hayworth is able to rely on the council and longtime partners such as Schamberger, who considers Hayworth a mentor and defined his personality as all-embracing.

Besides ensuring fun and dedication in his work, Hayworth’s philosophy is based on taking steps that go beyond the obvious. Hayworths always considers risk and reward when strategizing plans to further expand Coralville.

This approach might seem surprising to some, but by putting in the time and effort to take everything seriously and map things out, Hayworth and his team have an efficient way of maintaining balance.

“Kelly Hayworth can be criticized by many of being too risky at times, but I know for a fact that he is very careful and does a tremendous amount of research and

analysis,” Schamberger said. “His ideas generated so much economic impact in return to this community.”

Hayworth sometimes questions whether the risk is worth the reward, he said. Even so, he always takes every perspective seriously because no one can predict which ideas will turn out to be most successful.

Every new and current project that is being worked on makes Hayworth proud, he said, and he wants the city to continue growing. The new food pantry, which reopened its doors at a new location earlier this year, is a prime example of how people in Coralville can improve and raise the community to the highest standards.

Hayworth said he considers the pantry Coralville’s hidden gem. “People that are passionate about living and working here and making it the best place possible.”

The city’s next steps include creating more places that serve as assets to residents and that attract visitors. Spreading the word and increasing knowledge about spaces that are often hidden are also at the top of Hayworth’s agenda.

Many opportunities can be found in Coralville’s future, and Hayworth said he hopes they all reach their full potential — especially the city’s green spaces.

Hayworth’s passion for biking, golfing and camping is reflected in future projects that focus on the outdoors. As a yearly participant in RAGBRAI, Hayworth sees many opportunities in those areas, including the expansion of the Clear Creek trail system.

The Iowa native says he is far from finished. He remains future-focused on a number of projects, including hosting RAGBRAI again in July. It’s the sixth time the city has been an overnight host city in the event’s 50 years.

While Hayworth usually can’t speak about Coralville without breaking into a smile, and he’s hopeful that residents to feel passionate about their city.

“There are hundreds of people that have been directly impacted by his leadership,” Schamberger said. “He is to credit more than just about anybody else for the way the community has been shaped over the past four decades.”

Long-time residents shared what they're most proud of and other memories about Coralville.

A few of the highlights from the conversation are below:

“To me, the old school is just wonderful. When I was a kid, the school was a teen center. I was so excited when my friends and I turned 13 and went down there together. They had bumper pool, and I was a heck of a bumper pool player. There was ping pong and a couple jukeboxes too….Just driving by on Fifth Street, so many times it brings back memories when I go by the building.”

— Gary Anderson, Coralville resident since 1954 who continues as a community volunteer

“I think the trail system is kind of a hidden gem because it’s so inexpensive and you can go for miles or you can go to a trailhead and just get a good little walk… Now the final pieces of connection to integrate them all are coming together. It’s just a real asset to the community that lots of people don’t enjoy enough.”

— John Weihe, Optometrist and former City Council member

“I still think Coralville is an extremely safe city for the residents compared to other places. I’d like to think that will continue.”

— Barry Bedford, retired Coralville Police Chief and 50-year resident

“We just have this incredibly strong tradition of being a thriving, active community that understands the importance of visioning and following through with those visions and plans and not just sitting on our laurels, but making sure that Coralville continues to meet the needs and wants of the community.”

— John Lundell, former mayor and City Council member who moved to Coralville in 1980

“I was a military kid all my life and my dad was a career Marine and so we moved around all the time. I never had what would be considered a real hometown or one that I ever got involved until I got to Coralville. It’s always been very easy to get involved. People wanted to know you and if you wanted help, they would help you I have always enjoyed it.”

— Diana Lundell, former City Council member and Coralville resident

Savannah Blake/The Gazette Kelly Hayworth of Coralville, right, smiles as Herky plays around with his nine-month old granddaughter Evie Hayworth during Fryfest at the Iowa River Landing in Coralville, Iowa on September 2, 2022.

Performing arts grow in Coralville, providing youth with endless opportunities

By Olivia Augustine

Today’s Coralville is seething with artistry at every opportunity. Every weekend there is a play, concert or performance to view, usually featuring children and young adults involved in one of the cities’ several performing arts programs. Artistic leaders in the community said that performing arts in Coralville have come a long way.

The city has seen significant development in recent years – from national tours to premiere spaces for community performances.

From taking music lessons and music therapy at West Music to participating in Nolte Academy’s annual performance of The Nutcracker, Coralville youth have endless opportunities to become involved in performing arts.

Leslie Nolte is the owner and artistic director of Nolte Academy and the James Theater, and the executive and artistic director of ICON Arts Academy, a performing arts boarding school opening in the fall. She said her goals are very similar to what they were when she opened Nolte Academy in 2000 –bring the arts to as many young people as possible.

The 16,000 square foot Nolte Academy building is located on 2nd Ave in Coralville. It houses five spacious studios, a costume and prop shop, a dancewear store, and a performing arts preschool. In over two decades of business, Nolte Academy has grown to 1,100 students and 30 instructors specializing in dance, theater, voice, art, yoga, pilates and more, with classes available as young as 18 months to adults.

Nolte has reached far and wide to provide Coralville youth with the ability to view and participate in performing arts, operating under the Kennedy Center's Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child program. The Coralville, Iowa City and North Liberty communities joined the program in 2012, under the leadership of Kelly Hayworth, Coralville City Administrator, Geoff Fruin, Iowa City City Manager, and Ryan Heiar, North Liberty City Administrator.

Last year, Nolte was able to bring every

second grader in the Iowa City School District, 1,092 kids, to the James Theater to see Nolte Academy’s presentation of “Penny and the Wolf,” through the Any Given Child program. She said this is one of her favorite things she has been able to do.

“That partnership literally filled my heart to have over a 1,000 second graders come in,” Nolte said. “Half of them, if not more than half, are yelling things like, ‘I've never even been on a bus’ and ‘oh my gosh, what is ballet?’ and they just left so bright.”

Nolte said that she has raised and continues to raise five kids in the community and it became home very quickly. In that time she has watched performing arts blossom.

“I think that the landscape since I moved here for college has flourished, I would say, into a landscape that – in the world of the arts – I don't feel like I'm missing anything,” Nolte said. “I can find a poetry slam, I can find an author's book reading, I can certainly find music galore, I can find plays, musicals, dance, and I think that's pretty rare for a

community our size.”

Elizabeth Tracey, programming supervisor and artistic producer for City Circle Theatre Company and Young Footliters Youth Theatre, said she has also seen Coralville become a stronger arts community within the last decade.

When she first became involved with City Circle 12 years ago as a volunteer, it was a nonprofit entity completely separate from the city of Coralville. Now, City Circle and the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts are a constant partnership working hand in hand. Tracey has played a large role in helping this partnership develop.

“I found that when we would do a show and do it here, the CCPA was very, very involved,” Tracey said. “I have a master of fine arts in theater, so I understood the complexities of the technical aspect of theater, so I became their artistic producer for all the shows.”

The CCPA, located on the corner of Fifth Street and 12th Avenue, opened in August of

Age: 55

Occupation:

Traveling jazz musician

Time in Coralville: 25 years

Fun Fact:

When he’s not making music, he loves to cook for people

Live music can be found at every corner in Coralville, but not many people associate the city with blues music. Award-winning jazz musician Kevin “B.F.” Burt adds to the city’s music culture and provides residents a taste of the blues.

Burt has traveled across Iowa to perform at live venues and music festivals. He was also inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2019 and has released two albums — one in 2018 and another in 2020.

In 2018, Burt, who started playing at age 27, was crowned the world’s top unsigned blues player. He swept all three solo categories at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. He competed against 160 acts from around the world, winning best solo/duo act, best harmonica player and best solo/duo guitarist.

“I went from a guy that played 350 to 400 shows a year right here within the state of Iowa for the most part, to getting my first European tours, to getting the opportunity to become a recording artist,” Burt said.

Burt remains a fixture in the local music scene and takes time to inspire the next generation of musicians.

“The thing that I like most about Coralville is that it's accessible,” the Waterloo native said. “You have access to the interstate as a touring artist, the ability to find opportunities to perform around, the ability to make it to the airport, but in the same sense, be able to be quiet and kind of low key. When I have downtime, I like it to be down. And Coralville is excellent for that.”

By Lauren Swanson

KEVIN “B.F.” BURT

Stephen Mally/Freelance/The Gazette

The 482-seat auditorium at the open house for the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts in Coralville on August 27, 2011.

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CORALVILLE

Faces

OF CORALVILLE

WEST MUSIC

Established: 1941

Location:

1212 Fifth St, Coralville

Founder: Pearl West

Features:

A wide selection of instruments for rent or purchase, repair services, music lessons, and workshops

Fun Fact:

West Music offers six locations across Iowa

Steve West of West Music has been involved in the family business ever since he graduated from the University of Iowa in 1969. He’s watched West Music grow from the humble store founded in 1941 by his father, Pearl West, to the one-stop music store recognized by Iowans across the state.

Steve West has since retired from the company and passed it along to his son, Ryan West. Even in retirement, Steve West said he happily remains involved from time to time.

The company’s roots began with expertise in repairing instruments, but it was Steve West who came up with the idea to introduce music to children by bringing it directly to them.

In 1980, after producing a small instrument catalog that was sent to elementary schools and music educators, West’s early childhood and elementary music education program grew in popularity.

Leaning into their slogan “Play now, play for life,” West Music continues to blossom by offering additional services like classes, music therapy, music advocacy and workshops.

“Music, you can do it for life, and I am an example of it,” Steve West said. “I’m 77, and I still enjoy playing and being a part of it.”

By Tessa Goodwin

2011 and seats 472 people in its auditorium, even offering concessions in the lobby during public events. Owned and operated by the city of Coralville, the beautiful theater serves as an accessible space for groups in the Johnson County area to take advantage of.

Not only has the city become more involved in producing City Circle shows, but Tracey said that opportunities for youth to participate in community theater are continuing to grow, especially through Young Footliters.

In regular City Circle shows, there are only so many roles available for youth performers, but Young Footliters is a K-12 program designed specifically to bring performance opportunities to children and young adults. Tracey said that the program has grown from a mere five shows a year to currently several classes a week, as well as mini productions.

“I'd say we probably serve over 1,000 volunteers in the area, and it keeps growing,” Tracey said. “There's really no limit to how we're expanding because of the interest of the arts in this area.”

Kids in Coralville have had the unique experience of growing up in a small community that embraces the arts. Luke Reimer, 14, and his sister Claire, 12, have been involved in performing arts shows in Coralville for years. Luke’s first ever performance was a Nolte Academy production of “Peter Pan” in 2015 when he was six. They later shared the stage together in Claire’s first show, a Young Footliters production of “Winnie the Pooh” in 2018.

Luke and Claire both said that their favorite things about theater are being able to delve into their characters while also having the opportunity to make friends with kids who have a

shared interest. Claire’s favorite show was “Jack and the Giant Beanstalk,” which ran in March.

“It was just a really fun experience. I had a lot of friends in the show and I really enjoyed my part, I was the Harp,” Claire said. “I had a musical number with one of my good friends, so it was really fun to be a part of that.”

Claire said that her favorite part of the CCPA facility is the spacious green rooms, but Luke said that he feels security in the CCPA because he knows it won’t be torn down – unlike the theater at his middle school. Luke attends Northwest Junior High, which is tearing down their theater to make room for an addition, he said.

“It's really nice getting to know that the thing you love to do is protected and treasured among the community,” Luke said. “This place won’t be torn down because it’s such a staple in the community.”

Thanks to the new Xtream Arena, which opened in September of 2020, there is also a location in Coralville for non-local performing arts groups to stop in town while on tour. It has a concert capacity of 6,600 people.

Rori Carlo, director of marketing, said that the arena has seen a lot of success with country and rock music concerts and family events, like Disney on Ice.

“We're excited to still be in the area and contribute to the performing arts side of the venue,” Carlo said. “Obviously, there are some historic buildings with Hancher Auditorium in the Coralville Iowa City area, and then the Performing Arts Center in Coralville as well, so we're excited to continue and be a part of all of that tradition that has been started prior to us being here.”

STEVEN JEPSON

Age: 62

Occupation:

Baritone opera singer; adjunct voice teacher at the University of Wisconsin Platteville

Favorite underrated location in Coralville: The Coralville Public Library

Steven Jepson is an opera singer, actor, and teacher who began his outstanding career in Coralville. Jepson was born and raised in Coralville and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa.

“It's just been cool to watch my hometown grow,” Jepson said.

Jepson’s passion for music began in Coralville with his teachers and the theater opportunities provided. After getting a taste in high school, his love for music only grew. His counselor at West High pushed him to pursue music as a career and suggested attending the University of Iowa.

“And that's where the whole thing started, if you want to put it that way,” Jepson said, “I've traveled around the globe. I've done opera and musical theater, cabaret concerts, I worked for a semi-professional quartet, done choral works, sang in Europe, sang in Japan, sang throughout the United States. And so, it's nice that my musical life has sort of come full circle.”

He’s traveled all over the world but ultimately decided to come back to Iowa since its music and arts programs are rooted in community.

“In comparison, it stacks up pretty well to what you find around the world,” Jepson said. “But for what we have, we should be real happy, real proud. Because there's some great stuff going on here.”

By Grace Kreber

of the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts March 8, 2011 in Coralville.

Coralville Community Food Pantry expands services to meet rising needs

The rising need comes in response to changes in statewide legislation and continuing trends from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established:

Location:

89 Second St #7, Coralville

Manager:

Tawfig Hagelamin

Fact:

Halamin graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in international studies.

Coralville offers several diverse food options, and Global Mart International Grocery store is one of them. With a focus on Middle Eastern and African goods, Global Mart offers products from all over the world at affordable prices.

Owner and manager Tawfig Hagelamin started the grocery store from the ground up and has seen it triple in size since opening in 2011. Census data shows 15 percent of Coralville’s residents were foreign born.

A self-made entrepreneur from Sudan, Hagelamin created a retail space for Coralville residents that wasn’t available before. He also went from knowing very little English to becoming a University of Iowa graduate.

By Jami Martin-Trainor | The Gazette

The Coralville Community Food Pantry does more for its community than provide groceries. While the nonprofit organization is able to serve food to around 500 families every week, the pantry’s mission goes above and beyond that metric and measure of success.

At its root, the Coralville Community Food Pantry is about connecting people. According to Hai Huynh, the associate director of the pantry, that deep-seated

connection takes the form of public events and quarterly meals with the community.

“We invite everybody in the community to come together and have conversations with neighbors,” Huynh said. “When it comes to community building, it's working really well.”

Huynh said the pantry offers an opportunity to be involved and aware of what is happening in the community. With rippling effects from the COVID-19 pandemic on wealth, as well as recent legislation restricting access to SNAP benefits, Huynh said the

pantry is likely to see an influx of people visiting.

Having been involved with the Coralville Community Food Pantry and holding various positions for nearly four years, Huynh has been able to see first-hand both the growth and impact the pantry has seen.

“As a mom and a community member, I love to get my kids involved in their community,” Huynh said. “I was able to bring my children in here and volunteer with a pantry, and also teach them what giving back means.”

Global Mart’s Coralville location is known for its outstanding customer service and for baking its own goods in-store. Hagelamin said the store serves a diverse customer base, which allows Global Mart to provide a variety of food. Many customers are regulars and tend to think of Hagelamin as a friend and Global Mart as a taste of home.

In the future, Hagelamin hopes to add a cafe corner where guests can enjoy their coffee and tea inside the store. He’s also considered franchising Global Mart.

By Mason Miller

GLOBAL MART

Daniel McGregor-Huyer/The Daily Iowan

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark takes a photo with Coralville Community Food Pantry workers during a charity event on April 21, 2023.

The pantry’s explosive growth

Over the past several years, the Coralville Community food pantry has seen a great deal of growth, both in the amount of food that is able to be served and the demand for food.

John Boller, the executive director of the pantry, said that is due to quick-thinking and flexibility at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to limitations on in-person interactions set in place during 2020 and beyond, the Coralville Community Food Pantry started a new initiative: the Home Delivery Program. Currently headed by Loyal Ulm, the program allowed for individuals to have no-contact deliveries to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID-19.

As restrictions started to lift, Ulm said the pantry opted to keep the program that was serving individuals that were “not really thought of.” Whether an individual has mobility issues or does not have a car to realistically transport groceries, the Home Delivery Program allows volunteers to transport donations from the pantry to those in need.

“For whatever reason, we're reaching a population of people that many of them just really can't get into the pantry,” Ulm said. “Regardless of your ability to walk around, you still need food.”

Ulm said that since leading the Home Delivery Program about a year ago, the number of houses that are receiving deliveries has nearly doubled, jumping from approximately 250 to 400 recipients on a monthly bases. Boller said the pantry as a

whole has encountered similar growth, with a 70 percent increase when comparing the first five months of 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The Coralville Community Food Pantry also received support from the history-making, nationally-acclaimed Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Women’s Basketball team in April. After reaching new heights of national recognition during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, Clark partnered with the Coralville Community Food Pantry to in $75,000 worth of donations from across the United States.

“There was a weekend where she was all over Twitter and people were talking about our story,” Boller said. “It was just really amazing to see.”

Relocating to meet demand

With rising needs — and support — from the community, the Coralville Community Food Pantry eventually outgrew its space. In January, the pantry relocated to 804 13th Ave., connected to the Coralville United Methodist Church. Boller said the new pantry is able to hold double the storage of the previous location, allowing for an increase in both dry and cold storage.

The food pantry raised $1.4 million of a $1.5 million fundraising goal to build the larger space. Many of the gifts came from within the community. The city of Coralville contributed $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward the building campaign.

In the past, Boller said the pantry has had

to turn away donations due to a lack of space. The ability to hold more food has brought an entire different challenge in keeping the shelves full.

The pantry collaborates with Table to Table, a food-rescue and redistribution nonprofit that is focused on eliminating food waste, Boller said. Along with that long-standing partnership, Boller said the pantry has purchased several pallets of food from wholesale sources and protein from a local producer. Boller also said the pantry is now receiving several cases of donated eggs every week from an egg producer.

“We're just trying to be as creative as possible just to keep our coolers and our shelves stocked,” Boller said.

Since relocating, the pantry also has plans to expand into a shared kitchen with the Coralville United Methodist Church. Boller said the pantry received a grant from the City of Coralville, allowing for renovations that will commercially license the space. Boller said these renovations open the doors for organized programming and additional opportunities.

As the Coraville Community Food Pantry continues to expand — whether that be through increasing the number of families reached for pioneering new programs to serve individuals in need — Boller said volunteers and donations are key to future successes.

“We're really looking to volunteers to lend a hand as we're entering this new chapter,” Boller said.

Omunique Wilkerson and Mason Tan contributed to this report.

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laces OF

CORALVILLE

IOWA FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL

Established:

Location:

1 Russel Slade Boulevard, Coralville

Hours:

6 A.M. - 10:30 P.M.

Fun Fact:

Iowa is the first state to have a firefighter memorial and visitor center

The Iowa Firefighters Memorial honors the courage and service of Iowa firefighters. The state has around 20,000 firefighters within 871 fire departments.

Since its founding in 1992, the memorial has added just over 3,000 names to its walls. Of those names, 156 are written on the Ultimate Act of Service wall in honor of firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Outside the memorial is a statue of a firefighter carrying a fallen firefighter’s son. This museum space features the patches of different Iowa fire stations, a book containing the firefighter's names, New York firefighter memorabilia, an I-beam from the World Trade Center, archives from sister city departments overseas in China and Japan, and many other unique artifacts.

Retired Chief Dave Stannard was a firefighter in Coralville for 32 years. His father was a firefighter for 25 years and among those memorialized there.

Stannard said the memorial means a lot to firefighters. “I come here and memorialize him because I grew up with him being a firefighter and that history to the person driving down the street, that doesn’t mean that much, but it does to the firefighter.”

By Grace Kreber

Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette

Volunteers Sierra Weldon stocks canned food and Mike Pottorf stacks boxes of produce from a delivery by Table to Table produce on June 2, 2023, at the Coralville Community Food Pantry in Coralville, Iowa. The food pantry has recently relocated and upsized their operations, but are still struggling to meet demand.

Brownfields Program cleans up Coralville

The brownfields program takes a site with an opportunity and turns it into something environmentally clean and valuable for the citizens of Coralville.

By Grace Kreber

A relatively obscure federal environmental program has played a big role in helping reshape Coralville’s most visible properties in the Iowa River Landing.

The city has made methodical use of the Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfield grants to redevelop the parcels – converting them from a truck stop and industrial park. The effort has taken nearly 25 years. But it’s helped take the land around the Iowa River Landing – adjacent to Interstate 80 – and transform it from a truck stop and industrial sites to retail, an arena and other mixed uses.

“I don’t think the Iowa River Landing would be where it is today without the brownfields project,” said Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth.

RIVER LANDING CLEANUP

• Began in 1998

• Took nearly 23 years to complete

• Included 110 individual parcels of land

• Required removal of 72,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 197,000 cubic yards of aresenic-impacted soils and fills

• Required treatment of 103,000 gallons of petroluem-impacted groundwater Gazette archives

The federal grants helped the city complete environmental assessments and figure out the necessary clean-up work that needed to be completed so that redevelopment could occur. The grants provide the city with the confidence to safely reuse old — and possibly contaminated — properties.

The clean-up of the river landing took nearly 23 years to complete, beginning in 1998 with the first U.S. EPA Pilot Grant and ending in 2020 with Xtream Arena and GreenState Family Fieldhouse.

Getting ahold of the 110 individual parcels of land proved to be a real challenge when beginning the project. Yet, the city worked with the owners and, “proved to everyone that there really wasn’t

significant contamination that couldn’t be fixed,” retired Coralville City Engineer Dan Holderness said.

The Iowa River Landing was the program’s biggest and most prominent project for the city.

“The clean-up became one of the largest in Iowa, including removal of 72,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 197,000 cubic yards of arsenic-impacted soils and fills, 74 cubic yards (about twice the volume of a large U-Haul truck) of lead-contaminated soils, and treatment of 103,000 gallons of petroleum-impacted groundwater,” Coralville’s brownfields coordinator Sarah Helmer said, regarding the Iowa River Landing clean-up.

The first grant the program received was in 1999 for $200,000. Over the last 23 years, Coralville has received 14 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants totaling over $2.5 million. The EPA funding has allowed the program to complete over 200 Phase I and II ESA’s, create media management plans, provide asbestos and hazardous materials surveys and initiate clean-up of more than 12 properties.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' partnership began with the brownfields program and continued through the 2008 flood that resulted in significant damage. Coralville was able to rebuild and come back stronger with the help of this federal partnership.

“Approximately $70 million worth of improvements that now protect Coralville — up to one foot above the 2008 flood.” Kelly Hayworth said, “These partnerships have served the regional and local economy by providing jobs and services to Coralville and neighboring communities.”

The brownfield grants have led to more than $300 million in redevelopment in the Iowa River Landing and more than 500 full- and part-time jobs among Xtream

Arena, Center facility.

“We land, about facilitating to The been gaining their “Coralville EPA Pins, Brownfield EPA cities in funding, a $200,000 grant awards and to many Iowa The with nership graduate Coralville did able was

An aerial view of the 200-acre area east of First Avenue, south of Interstate 80 and west of the Iowa River that became the Iowa River Landing.

Dan the prominent largest 72,000 yards 74 of a lead-contaminated gallons groundwater,” Sarah River received last EPA totaling has over media and initiate Engineers' brownfields 2008 damage. come federal of Coralville flood.” partnerships economy Coralville more the 500 Xtream

Arena, Coralville Hyatt and Conference Center and University of Iowa Healthcare facility.

“We want to be good stewards of our land, so testing and alleviating concerns about contamination, or in some cases facilitating clean-up, is the best way for us to do so,” Helmer said.

The Coralville Brownfields Program has been a leader in cleaning up brownfields, gaining state and national recognition for their efforts.

“Coralville was one of the first to receive EPA grants in the state of Iowa,” said Mel Pins, program coordinator for the Iowa Brownfield Redevelopment Program.

EPA federal grants are competitive, and cities like Coralville have received the most in Iowa.  Coralville, with the help of EPA funding, which in September 1998 awarded a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Pilot grant to the city, along with supplemental awards of $100,000 in 2000 and 2002 — and the $1,500,000 in funding leveraged to date; as a result, helped the city create many significant projects including the Iowa River Landing.

The Coralville Brownfields Program with the help of Holderness founded a part nership with the planning and public affairs graduate program at the University of Iowa. Coralville started the program because they did not have the existing population to be able to hire someone full-time. The solution was to hire a graduate student from the

students after and some go on to become prominent members within the planning community,” Holderness said.

For Hayworth, participation in the Brownfields Program – which is currently working on a project along Clear Creek and First Avenue – has helped affirm the long-term impact decisions can have on properties within the city.

“It makes you aware of what you don’t want to do in the future, teaching us how to do development in these critical areas that are environmentally affected, creating a better community and environment,” Hayworth said.

The relationships built during the Brownfields projects were helpful when the city faced other challenges – including during the 2008 floods and 2020 derecho. The city was able to draw on established relationships to move the projects along, city leaders said.

laces P

Established: 1992

Location:

1900 Country Club Dr., Coralville

Head Pro: Sean McCarty

Fact:

Nine holes were added in 2003, bringing the count to 18

University of Iowa.

“It worked out really well. It gave us someone to do the everyday work of dealing with the everyday tasks while also giving the students really great job experience,” Holderness said.

The program was a win-win situation for the City of Coralville and University of Iowa graduate students. “Kept track of the

“Approximately $70 million worth of improvements that now protect Coralville up to 1 foot above the 2008 flood.” Hayworth said. “These partnerships have served the regional and local economy by providing jobs and services to Coralville and neighboring communities.”

The city is continuing to look for long-term solutions that can help the city. They expect to hear on a federal grant in November that would help relocate overhead power and communication lines underground. The nearly $20 million project would improve reliability for about 9,000 of the city’s residents.

Established in 1992 and donated to the City of Coralville seven years later, Brown Deer Golf Club has built a reputation as a place for everyone in the community. It offers junior programs, men’s and women’s leagues, a full-service restaurant and pro-shop, a banquet facility and golf course that challenges every aspect of the game. The original nine hole course was donated by C. Alan Poots and Jennifer Niebyl in 1999.

The addition of nine holes in 2003, on land donated by Dave and Suzy McCurry, turned the club into a full 18-hole golf course providing the players with an elevated experience and new layout. The expansion and redesign project, which included a new clubhouse designed by Neumann Monson Architects, totaled around $11.4 million.

“We really have a whole package, including the recreational side, anyone can come at any age,” said head pro Sean McCarty, who became the head pro in 2000.

Brown Deer Golf Club’s front and back nine holes both have their own styles. After playing a round, golfers can visit the club’s pro shop to purchase golf accessories and equipment. Beginners or those looking to improve their skills can sign up for individual or group instruction.

The course, which totals more than 6,300 yards, is also home to more than 11 acres of federally-protected wetlands and six acres of tall grass prairie.

By Lea Zeitler

Gazette archives

A look at the former industrial park from what is now Xtream Arena in Coralville. Photo from January 2004.

Gazette archives

Looking NE over former site of Hawkeye Truck Stop at intersection of 1st Ave. and Interstate 80 in Coralville, August 31, 2001.

Iowa River Landing: From industrial park to

city landmark

Coralville’s Iowa River Landing is a project four decades in the making.

By Olivia Augustine

The Iowa River Landing is a continuously growing part of Coralville. Today, the IRL is a hub for shopping, sporting events and nationwide conferences. But longtime residents remember it as an industrial district with a truck stop and a Happy Joe’s Pizza. Even with strides already made by the City of Coralville, plans for further expansion of the IRL are already in the works.

Past

Plans for IRL development began in the early 1980s when the City of Coralville held its first goal setting session. During this session, city council members discussed developing hospitality-centered businesses and building a conference center, Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said. At the time, the IRL wasn’t the family-friendly place the city council wanted people to see right off Interstate 80.

Hayworth has worked with the city for nearly 35 years and said he remembers early discussions about the industrial park. “We always laughed that just about anything you didn't want in your community was in the old industrial park,” Hayworth said. “There was a strip joint, there was an adult bookstore, there was a junkyard, there was a waste transfer station.”

Tionna Tobias

The fountain in the Clock Tower Roundabout at Iowa River Landing sits in front of the Hyatt Regency Coralville.

Progress began in the late ‘90s after the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Program was created. Hayworth said Coralville applied for and was given a grant through the Brownfields program, which allowed development to break on the IRL.

In the early days of IRL advancement, most development efforts went toward building the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center — known today as the Hyatt. The conference center was the IRL’s first step toward becoming the district it is today.

The city spent some time looking to a major attractor – including an indoor rainforest and a literary project – though those ideas didn’t pan out.

Before Coralville’s hotel and conference center was built, the only conference center available in the area was the Iowa Memorial Union located on the University of Iowa’s campus in Iowa City, said Think Iowa City president Josh Schamberger. Holding conferences at the IMU posed challenges due to the student scheduling, so the addition of the city-owned facility brought Coralville into a new era of hospitality and tourism, Schambeger said.

“Since it opened in 2006, there has been tens of millions of dollars that have come to this community and been spent all over town — businesses, restaurants, hotels, attractions, gas, food — because of that facility,” Schamberger said. “None of them would

have come here because they all require a facility of that size for not only hotels but conference facilities.”

Around the same time the Marriott was established, two restaurants and a brewery took a chance on the fledgling IRL – Vesta, Konomi and Back Pocket Brewery – all of which still operate in the same locations today.

Present

ArenaCo, a non-profit community development corporation, built the Xtream Arena in 2020. Xtream Arena is currently home to the Iowa Heartlanders hockey team, hosts sporting events and concerts, and drives tourism in Coralville.

Though one of the major connections to Interstate 80 is under reconstruction, the $41 million reconstruction will be a huge asset after its completion, Schamberger said.

“We'll have a fourth entrance into the River Landing, which has been in the master plan,” Schamberger said. “It's going to be tremendous access and [provide] accessibility right off the interstate, and it'll be great for local residents as well.”

Deanna Printy, the IRL Commercial Property Manager, started the position around one year and nine months ago. Since then, she has overseen the openings of Active Endeavors, Cielo, Katsch, Iowa Athletic Club, Cookies and Dreams and The Silo

Team Store.

Even with the major businesses that have opened at the IRL in recent history like Von Maur, Trader Joe’s, Lululemon, small businesses residing in the area are not going anywhere, Printy wrote in an email. There is still room for more businesses in undeveloped spaces and land that hasn’t been built on yet, she added.

Future

Coraville has already expanded up to its borders. In order to grow, the city now has to build upward. One plan already in the works is the upcoming renovation of the Hyatt.

Hayworth said all of the meeting spaces at the Hyatt have already been redone, but they’re still preparing to redo the hotel rooms, the restaurant and the fitness center.

“They've got a lot of plans and upgrades that they're doing,” Hayworth said. “So I think that's an example of how the rest of the district will continue to go as well.”

Printy wrote that the IRL is a beautiful place to live or just to make a day trip to. As it grows, she hopes people continue to hold it in high esteem.

“We just want to keep growing and making this a well known destination with all the luxury experiences you find in the bigger cities.” Printy wrote. “When someone says IRL, we want them to know it means the Iowa River Landing.”

PCORALVILLE’S ANTIQUE CAR MUSEUM

Established:

Location:

200 E Ninth St, Coralville

Manager:

Tim Bolwen, the museum’s full-time volunteer administrator

Fun Fact:

Features cars from as far back as the 1800s

Most people don’t expect to find more than 100-year-old cars on the Iowa River Landing. You probably won’t find them on the street, but you’ll find plenty within the Antique Car Museum’s new location in the Xtream Arena.

The museum displays 85 cars ranging from an 1899 Maytag from Waterloo, Iowa, to a 1964 Ford from Wales. Most of the time, the museum acts as a garage for antique car owners in the area. Some of the cars come and go depending on the season, but others are kept within the building for the museum to show off.

Each car has a rich history, and Tim Bolwen was proud to mention that almost 90 percent of their histories are known. Many of the cars have historical facts and findings paired with unique stories about the car and or it’s owners.

One of the more unique cars in the lot is an early 1900s De Mot from Detroit that’s believed to be one of only three left in the world. The museum offers group tours, event hosting, and drop-in tours five days a week.

By Mason Miller

The new Xtream Arena is seen near a hotel under construction in the Iowa River Landing in Coralville on Sept. 3, 2020.

Faces

OF

CORALVILLE

DEANNA TRUMBULL

57

Occupation: Director of Leasing, Iowa River Landing

Time in Coralville: 27 years

Favorite Memory: Opening of Coral Ridge Mall

Deanna Trumbull, the director of leasing for the Iowa River Landing in Coralville, has worked in commercial real estate for over 20 years. She’s had a major hand in Coralville’s retail growth.

She started her career in marketing but was eventually encouraged by her previous company to focus more on leasing instead. After five years of marketing, Trumbull said she enjoyed the switch. She now operates her own commercial real estate company, Trumbull Consulting, for the Iowa River Landing.

“What I have enjoyed most about Coralville is its location and environment around it – it’s a great blank slate for bringing things together, like the Iowa River Landing,” Trumbull said. “The Iowa River Landing being in Coralville was great for bringing what I knew about retail and leasing to this area.”

Trumbull moved to Coralville one year before the Coral Ridge Mall opened in 1998. She was then hired to help open the mall, so she was in several meetings with the then-Mayor Jim Fausett and City Administrator Kelly Hayworth.

“When I first moved to Coralville … the mayor and the city provided me with real welcoming arms,” Trumbull said. “And from then on, I’ve felt that it’s a great, welcoming community and I still feel that today. When I moved here, I felt like I was coming home.”

By Raquel Decker

Iowa River Landing photos by Tionna Tobias, Isabel Tuisl, Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette, Cody Blissett/The Daily Iowan and Ayrton Breckenridge/The Daily Iowan

“ We just want to keep growing and making this a well known destination with all the luxury experiences you find in the bigger cities.

— Deanna Printy, IRL Commercial Property Manager

A big arena in a small town

By Mason Miller

As the doors finally opened in September 2020, Coralville finally had the arena it had been imagining for nearly 20 years.

Problem was, the $71.3 million facility was ready as a global pandemic meant the music, athletic events and other events were either not happening, or required significant modifications.

While the pandemic was temporary, city leaders remained confident the arena would long outlast the pandemic.

“This is a project that will keep giving, giving and giving more in perpetuity,” then-Mayor John Lundell said at a 2020 preview event. “The excitement is yet to come.” Now it’s here.

The 5,100-seat arena is a key piece of the Iowa River Landing and has hosted an array of sporting events, concerts and events. The project for the Iowa River Landing was created in the mid 1990s and has turned out better than most imagined.

The arena is run by a non-profit company called ArenaCo, which overlooks Coralville and provides support for capital campaigns and projects like Xtream Arena and have become a big asset to the City of Coralville. The arena is powered by Mediacom, who signed a 10-year naming rights deal worth “plenty of zeros,” Lundell said. Mediacom also provided the venue and its guests with free high-speed wireless internet.

The arena has hosted a great number of concerts, shows, plays, graduations, and athletic events, and it’s only been open for just under three years. Construction for the arena began in 2018 and was completed in September 2020. By that time, the space around the arena was already well developed with retail and dining options flourished in an area that brought travelers from Iowa and beyond.

Savannah Blake/The Gazette Sioux Center players run through the tunnel during team introductions before the girls state volleyball class 3A championship game at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on November 3, 2022.

A look at the Xtream Arena came to be and the plan for its future.

Josh Kleinmeyer is the director of partnerships and events for Xtream Arena, and he said he couldn’t have asked for a better location for it.

“The Iowa River Landing checks all those boxes that you would want for the area of a venue… We work with some of the restaurants and shops to help drive traffic to their businesses as well,” said Kleinmeyer.

Because of the pandemic, the venue’s opening looked much different than everyone had hoped. Top performers and events were canceled or adjusted for safety procedures, which didn’t allow the community to be involved with their new event center.

“This makes booking events post-pandemic more difficult, as we don’t have backup to show promoters that our market buys tickets and turns out,” Kleinmeyer said. “However, the community has been on board, and the promoters that have given us a chance have been pleased with us and all have rebooked new events.”

Although the venue faced some challenges early on, it has since bounced back. A large part of the arena’s recovery comes from its main revenue contributors. Xtream Arena has two tenants, the University of Iowa women’s volleyball team and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL. These teams provide a minimum of 46 event days from their regular seasons, plus tournaments and postseason games.

“[The Iowa Heartlanders] provides youth and amateur players in the area a chance to see professional hockey on a regular basis and watch players who have potential to play in the NHL,” Xtream Arena director of events Elizabeth Jones said. “The team also works within the community to provide learning to play options and expand interest in the sport in Eastern Iowa.”

The arena has provided an alternate to the larger Carver Hawkeye Arena, allowing for more scheduling and for a smaller venue for programs that have historically struggled to fill the arena.

The new arena has also hosted the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union state volleyball tournament, as well as the State Dual Wrestling championships and girl’s state wrestling championships.

The arena has flourished and made the most of its local partnerships, especially those around the Coralville area. Xtream Arena has worked with the Heartlanders to allow university student internships, and an array of part-time jobs. Kleinmeyer also recognized the role that student trainers have played.

“University of Iowa athletic trainers help with our events so any injuries to athletes in our arena and fieldhouse can be well

attended to,” Kleinmeyer said. “This allows our participants to have a safe event experi ence and adds additional events for their department to work.”

The arena’s future and its connection to Coralville still remains on the minds of arena staff. With future hopes of continued athletic partnerships from the university and hopes for continued community success, there is a lot to be excited about for Xtream Arena in Coralville’s next phase.

“Our largest challenge lies in learning what types of events this market is interested in and how we can book the right shows/tours/events for the area to be a success for both the arena and the event promoter,” Jones said.

Liz Martin/The Gazette People play pickle ball at GreenState Family Fieldhouse, which adjoins Xtream Arena, in Coralville on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.

Liz Martin/The Gazette Workers from BCI Concrete install the concrete floor of the future Xtream Arena in Coralville on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. Four hundred cubic yards of concrete were poured continuously to complete the floor of the ice rink.

Tionna Tobias

‘Larger than life’ photo murals celebrate Coralville’s 150th

‘We really want to celebrate both the history and the current diversity in our community and instill a sense of pride in both of those aspects of Coralville’.

By Izabela Zaluska | The Gazette

“Larger than life” photos have gone up on buildings around Coralville to celebrate the city’s 150th anniversary.

The wheat pasted murals celebrate the city’s rich history and bright future — which is the tagline for the sesquicentennial celebration. The murals are in visible locations in time for FourthFest and when thousands of RAGBRAI riders stay overnight

in Coralville at the end of July.

“There couldn't be a better time for all of this, and I think Coralville is going to really shine on the world stage in a way,” said artist Isaac Campbell, who is collaborating on the project with the Coralville Public Library.

Campbell is also putting up wheat pasted murals in each of the overnight RAGBRAI towns, including Coralville. The bike mural will happen the morning of RAGBRAI, which in Coralville is July 28.

“They're all going to be so visible, and I think people are going to have fun interacting with them,” Campbell said. Wheat pasting is a type of temporary art traditionally used in protests given its ease and speed of installation. Using flour, water and sugar, a paste is made to press paper onto a wall, drying with a strong bond. This puzzle method of wheat pasting includes large sheets of paper that are pieced together to create one large image rather than a single

High School Athlete of the Year in 2000. He later joined Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes.

Kaeding kicked for the Iowa football team from 2001-04 before being selected in the third round of the NFL draft to San Diego. Kaeding made a career for himself with the Chargers and other teams before retiring in 2013.

After retirement, Kaeding returned to the area for new ventures. He works as the director of business development for Build to Suit, a construction management and real estate development firm in Bettendorf and Coralville.

Kaeding remembers growing up in Coralville well, and said the community provided him every opportunity to get to where he wanted to be. He credits his success to a good combination of hard work and skill — plus some good luck along the way. Kaeding said he enjoys making Coralville a better place for the next generation.

By Mason Miller

Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette

Artist Isaac Campbell power washes off test murals on May 25, 2023, at the Coralville public library in Coralville, Iowa. The City of Coralville is overseeing a large public art initiative to celebrate the city’s 150th birthday this year.

large poster, Campbell said. Wheat paste murals tend to fall apart in three to six months but can last longer depending on the

Historical photos from the Coralville Digital History Library were wheat pasted onto seven buildings around town, with each building have its own unique photo.

There are three murals celebrating the city’s bright future. Photos of students will be wheat pasted on the outside of Northwest Junior High, Kirkwood Elementary and Coralville Central Elementary.

“We really want to celebrate both the history and the current diversity in our community and instill a sense of pride in both of those aspects of Coralville,” said Ellen Hampe Alexander, assistant director at the Coralville Public Library.

Celebrating Coralville’s history

The “larger than life historical photos” are a way for people to learn about and celebrate the city’s history, Hampe Alexander said. Coralville Librarian Wendy Stevenson said she wants to have QR codes or information near the mural about the photo so people can learn more about its significance. Stevenson oversees the Digital History Library and does archival work.

The mural locations are Chongs Supermarket, Coralville Community Food Pantry, Coralville Public Library, Coralville Recreation Center, Iowa River Power restaurant,

the building surface. What can we look for? Is it going to hold up in the way that I think it's gonna hold up? But the library also used it for a really great way to promote the project (on social media),” Campbell said.

Students are the ‘bright future’

Campbell said the murals with student photographs are “really moving” and a way to show students that “they are the bright future.”

The murals with student photographs are part of a larger effort called the Inside Out Project, a global art platform that helps communities stand for what they believe in and spark change.

“I think that whether the students realize that yet or not, the fact that they're going to be part of a global community and on a global stage is a really exciting thing,” Campbell said.

laces OF CORALVILLE P

S.T. MORRISON PARK

Established:

Location:

1513 Seventh St, Coralville

Features:

A playground, tennis courts, ball fields, fishing pond, small and large shelters

What People May Not Know:

The park was renovated 20 years ago to add nature trails

Randy’s Flooring and West Music.

Hampe Alexander said the buildings chosen are in visible, walkable areas.

The murals took about one to two hours each to put up – though the exterior surface of the building was the biggest determinant. Brick buildings tend to be a bit easier because the bricks can be used as guidelines.

Campbell spent an afternoon earlier this year with library and city staff driving around Coralville to identify potential locations for the murals.

“When you put your mural glasses on, you start to see things that you don't normally see: sides of buildings, walls that are in really fun spaces,” Campbell said.

But it’s not quite as simple as first choosing the image or picking the location.

“It's very much in the middle of we're thinking about images at the same time we're kind of driving around,” Campbell explained.

Building owners were contacted to see if they were interested in participating. Campbell then put up test murals that served as a “teaser sample” on the side of each building.

The test murals were much smaller than the actual murals. The tests included the 150th anniversary logo along with “Rich History” or “Bright Future.”

Before Memorial Day weekend, Campbell went around to see how the tests held up over the last month. He said the tests were in “really great condition.”

“There's a practical component of testing

There were various events over the final weeks of school for students to have their photos taken. Hampe Alexander said the Iowa City Community School District has been a great partner in these efforts.

“It's been so much fun to see how much enthusiasm there is in the community for this project,” Hampe Alexander said, adding how excited students have been to get their photos taken.

‘This is a community effort’

Hampe Alexander, Stevenson and Campbell all highlighted how accessible and collaborative this project and the wheat pasting process is.

“This is not a one person job — this is a community effort,” Campbell said. “ … I don't know that there are many opportunities in public art that are quite like that, where you can get people together in this way to really like truly create something like this.”

“You're not watching me do it. You're doing it yourself. You're doing it with me,” Campbell added about the process.

The images from the Digital History Library are already accessible to everyone online but now will be “accessible just driving down the street,” Stevenson said.

Campbell said the efforts from the library to make historical photographs and archives accessible in this way are “really cutting edge.”

“That's why libraries are so great because they already have this mindset of accessibility, of meeting people where they are, making sure that things are available,” Campbell said.

Hours:

Open 24 hours

S.T. Morrison Park is located south of Interstate 80 in the heart of Coralville. The park’s amenities include a playground, tennis courts, ball fields, a fishing pond, wireless internet, small and large shelters, and the grounds of the Coralville Community Aquatic Center.

The city purchased the property from S.T. Morrison in 1967, and the land was previously used as farmland by the Morrison family. Now, the city uses the park to hold events and celebrations, including the well-attended 4th Fest celebration and fireworks show. It is also home to the “Music in the Park” concert series.

“All the things that go on make it magnetic for the city,” said Coralville Parks and Recreations Director Sherri Proud.

Proud said the city renovated the park 20 years ago, adding a green space, updating the buildings and adding nature trails for all citizens to enjoy. She added that the pond is a premiere fishing location and is filled with sizable fish.

S.T. Morrison Park benefits the community, Proud said, and the park’s future includes further renovations. “We are in the process of a new master plan for the park,” Proud said. “We are looking ahead to putting in a new play area, new trails and other things.”

By Grace Kreber

Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette Artist Isaac Campbell teaches library community resources navigator Samira Abdalla how to power wash off murals on May 25, 2023, at the Coralville public library in Coralville, Iowa.