In areas once considered beyond saving, new development is emerging and spawning renewal in places such as Des Moines, Iowa City, Greenfield and Ottumwa. Some of those community reinvestment projects are now being honored by 1000 Friends of Iowa. Doug Adamson is a landscape architect in Des Moines who sits on the board for 1000 Friends. He says the awards recognize projects that use what are called smart-growth principles.

“Which is basically a sustainable approach to design. It reduces sprawl. It preserves farmland from sprawl and development and really concentrates on increasing the quality of life.” Adamson says a project that stood above the rest was the restoration of the Hotel Greenfield, originally completed in 1920 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“They could have easily went out to the highway and promoted a developer to develop a standard chain hotel out there on the highway, but instead they connect with the Downtown Development Corp and just did an amazing job and made it successful.”

A building once considered for demolition in Ottumwa a revitalization effort that began with a restaurant and brew pub in 2009. The last phase was completed last year with the addition of four loft apartments. The Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company says the project helped inspire development from other businesses, and is among the winners of the 2013 Best Development Awards from 1000 Friends of Iowa.

The other winners of the 1000 Friends of Iowa development awards were the Historic Packaging and Provision Building in Iowa City and Central Iowa Shelter and Services in Des Moines.

(Iowa News Service)