The City of Treynor received a financial boost for its planned recreation this month when Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced more than $26 million in grant funding through the final round of the Destination Iowa program.
Destination Iowa is a $100 million Iowa Economic Development Authority initiative created to help communities throughout the state increase quality of life and tourism attractions.
According to the March 9 press release, Reynolds also announced an additional $15 million for Destination Iowa applications from rural communities that did not receive grant funds in previous rounds.
“Destination Iowa has inspired communities in all corners of the state to dream big about projects that will bolster quality of life and attract newcomers,” Reynolds said in the press release. “The demand is so high, especially in rural areas, that I’ve extended the program to help more rural communities realize those dreams.”
People are also reading…
In all, Destination Iowa awards were granted to 46 projects totaling $115 million.
Treynor, which applied for the grant with the nonprofit Vision Treynor Group and the Treynor Recreation and Trail Board, will receive $800,000 from this for infrastructure of a park and family recreation complex from this additional funding. The grant accounts for 31% of the current phase of the project’s $2,577,455 cost.
For a project that began in 2010, the grant represents a continuation of the momentum the Treynor Family Recreation Complex has accumulated over the last several years.
“This really has been about planting seeds over the years, and this project really goes to show if you’re doing a transformational project, it takes time,” VTG President Travis Castle said. “And the impact I think that this project’s gonna have on the entire area will give you an idea of how much time and effort it’s taken from our standpoint.”
In 2021, a little league baseball field and a soccer field were the first parts of the project to come to fruition, and this summer, construction will begin on a pavilion to give sore-footed parents a place to sit and relax while their children play.
The Charles E. Lakin Foundation recently awarded VTG a grant for the construction of the pavilion, which will be known as The Lakin Foundation Family Pavilion once it’s completed.
There are also plans to add a splash pad and continue to build out Tristan’s Trails, which are a series of networked walking trails throughout the complex.
Tristan’s Trail is named for a Treynor High School student, Tristan White, who was struck by a car and killed while jogging along a dirt road near his home. His family has made it their mission to have safe trails for walking, running and biking in the area.
The Destination Iowa funds will also help build out additional infrastructure to the complex, like water, sewer and electricity.
VTG, the city and the trails board worked with HGM Associates to design the layout of the complex, which shows plans to add four more baseball fields, a basketball court and a second soccer field, though there isn’t a timetable for when the additions will be built.
The recreation complex is an ever-evolving project that, hopefully, will continue to grow over the years, Castle said.
For more information about the Vision Treynor Group and the Treynor Family Recreation Complex, visit visiontreynor.org.
IEDA opened the Destination Iowa program in May 2022 and accepted applications through Dec. 31. Applications were scored based on eligibility, completeness and the project’s ability to meet the program goal of creating transformational tourism attractions. Destination Iowa grants have been open to cities, counties, nonprofits and other organizations through four separate funds: Economically Significant Development, Outdoor Recreation, Tourism Attraction and Creative Placemaking.
