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TITLE VI PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTChapter 7 Building Permits
Edgewood Named All Star City 2007
Edgewood named a 2007 All-Star Community
The Iowa League of Cities recognized the city of Edgewood as a 2007 All-Star Community at its Annual
Conference & Exhibit, which was held in Dubuque from September 26 to 28. The All-Star Community Award is
one of the most prestigious honors given out by the League to cities for specific community projects completed in the previous calendar year. Entries are judged by a panel of former city officials and others familiar with municipal government. Judges determine winners based on innovative efforts in areas such as urban renewal, development, preservation, service sharing or quality of life improvements. This year, Edgewood was one of four of Iowa’s 947 cities to garner such recognition for their Community Dreams Sports Complex.
The Edgewood Community Dreams Project was the result of nearly a decade of planning and 84 acres of
land on the north side of the city. The project was broken down into three phases, the first of which was the
Community Dreams Sports Complex. The Sports Complex was developed because of a need for improved
recreational facilities for both area residents and student athletes. The completed complex includes two baseball diamonds, a state-of-the-art football field and track, a shared concession stand, soccer field, parking lot, an irrigation pond and a new road leading into the complex.
The total cost for Phase 1 of the project was just over $900,000. Part of this cost included the initial purchase of the land – half of which was purchased by the city of Edgewood and the other half was purchased by the Edgewood Board of Economic Development. Additional funding came from literally hundreds of sources, including an Iowa Community Attractions and Tourism (CAT) Grant, the local schools and athletic booster clubs, various fundraisers and private donations that totaled nearly $400,000.
The Dreams Project Committee, the project’s planning committee, was comprised of representatives from
the city, the school, and other civic organizations that would use the facility. Their original goal was to create a place for families to live and enjoy recreation. In addition, the city’s young people needed a safe place to play.
High School Baseball Coach Mike Putz says the finished sports complex clearly affected his student
athletes. “I think the project sent a strong message to student athletes that the adults of this community care about the things they are involved in and want them on facilities that are worthy of their efforts.”
The next two phases of the project are still in the planning stages, but the city of Edgewood is still
dreaming big. They want to add additional recreational facilities, as well as residential housing and further the area’s industrial development. They hope their dreams will attract people to their city to live and work; and they want to be a showcase of what a small town can do when they dream big.
This year’s other All-Star Community Award winners were Bettendorf, Orange City and Toledo.