DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced $26.88 million in grant funding through the final round of Destination Iowa, a $100 million investment in quality of life and tourism attractions. In recognition of the high interest in the program, Gov. Reynolds also announced an additional investment of $15 million to fund Destination Iowa applications from rural communities that did not receive grants in previous rounds.

In all, Destination Iowa awards were granted to 46 projects totaling $115 million that activated $480,265,783 in total investment. The seventh round of Destination Iowa funded the 10 projects. For the additional $15 million, IEDA reviewed applications already submitted by rural communities, defined as 30,000 residents or fewer that are not adjacent to communities of 30,000 or more residents.

Awards made from the additional $15 million, include (from our area:

The City of Denison was awarded $4,500,000 for the Crawford County Wellness and Recreation Center. The award represents 24% of the total project investment of $18,643,000.

The City of Treynor was awarded $800,000 for a multi-phase park and recreation project. The award represents 31% of the total project investment of $2,577,455.

The Stanton Community Foundation and Montgomery County were awarded $850,000 for the Stanton Area Trail Project. The award represents 35% of the total project investment of $2,456,110.

Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2026. For more information on the Destination Iowa program, visit iowaeda.com/destination-iowa/. Funding for this program has been made available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.