Linn Co Supervisors fund Marion, Central City, Trees Forever Projects

By Steve Gravelle, Reporter

Someday, hundreds of people will attend live open-air theatre and music events at an amphitheater nestled into a corner of Marion's Lowe Park. That's the concept presented by representatives RDG Planning and Design of Des Moines to the City Council recently. The multimillion-dollar and multiyear project would also feature neighborhood parks, a field for unstructured play, ponds, and more than five miles of looped trails. This RDG image shows the proposed amphitheater.

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By Liz Blood

Story Created: Aug 22, 2012 at 8:13 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 22, 2012 at 8:23 PM CDT

LINN COUNTY, Iowa - Linn County will help with the cost of Marion's planned Lowe Park amphitheater, Central City's development program, and a woodlands conference, supervisors decided this morning.

Supervisors voted unanimously to allocate the funds from the $200,000-a-year economic development fund they manage.

The only change was to make Marion's $75,000 allocation over four years instead of three. Supervisor Linda Langston, D-Cedar Rapids suggested the change to allow more flexibility in development fund allocations.

Vic Klopfenstein, Marion's former mayor, said the change won't affect the $1.7 million project. Supporters hope to begin construction next year. Supervisors can't officially commit to allocations in future fiscal years, but put themselves on the record as intending to make them.

Central City Main Street will receive $7,000 for ongoing projects, and Trees Forever will get $8,000 to fund its Woodlands Symposium in December.

Today's action leaves $10,150 in the fund for the current fiscal year, which ends next June 30.

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