The City of Perry and the Nudgers organization recently found out they have been chosen to receive a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) through their Community Catalyst Building Remediation grant program.

The funds will be used for renovations to the building at 1306 2nd Street in downtown Perry, commonly known as the Morgan Building. The restoration of the historic building is the Nudgers’ latest project, and they’ve already begun initial work. With the grant from the IEDA, Perry Community and Economic Development Director Mike Fastenau says the project is officially viable, and will gain a lot of momentum. The grant included a $20,000 match from the City, which Fastenau says was a small price to pay because of the impact the project will have on the downtown landscape. “Historic districts are places people want to visit. They want to see restored and maintained buildings and structures, and then within that comes the business activity and the retail activity, which will strengthen our economy in that way and turn some dollars over. So it all kind of is a circle of activity that makes things that much more vibrant downtown, and I think improving these buildings will certainly go a long way in making it a more attractive area to visit.”

Fastenau adds, the Morgan Building project will add more office and apartment space to the downtown area, and put the building back on the City’s tax roll, which will also benefit the City greatly. To learn more about this and other Perry economic development topics, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.