Governor Reynolds visits the Iowa Lakes Corridor

Last month, Governor Reynolds visited the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation to talk with staff about development and projects happening in the Iowa Lakes Corridor region. In addition to Corridor staff, Board Chair Brad Beck and State Representative Megan Jones were also in attendance.

Among topics of discussion were:

• Iowa Lakes Corridor’s Business Recognition Luncheon: Staff shared a brief overview of the event and award winners.
• My Town: The Governor was excited to hear about the My Town project and how having an episode of this docuseries in the state of Iowa will bring opportunities for marketing and workforce recruitment.
• Business Retention & Expansion visits: Staff reiterated the importance of BRE visits and the data that they bring to the region’s communities as well as the state. 
• Discussed current legislation.
  • Workforce Housing Tax Credits: This program assists housing developers, especially in rural areas, to bridge the gap on costs to still have profitable projects while constructing affordable housing for the region's workforce. Staff supported the legislation for this program to increase the annual allocation from $35 million to $50 million for FY24-25.
  • Manufacturing 4.0: This program assists companies with funding for robotics and Manufacturing 4.0 improvements for efficiency and expansion.
• Corridor staff was also able to discuss current and upcoming development projects throughout the region.

Our team is grateful to have had the opportunity to sit down with the Governor to discuss projects, programs, and developments in the region both present and future.