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The basics:

What do I need to know?

Northeast Iowa RC&D was awarded a grant to develop a plan to stimulate growth and redevelopment in several areas of Postville.

 

We have met with many community groups and leaders and asked what you think we need to do to improve our town and keep it vibrant into the future. The ideas that will be included in the plan are part of this online open house. But first, we'll cover some basics about the plan and some facts about Postville.

This plan doesn't cover all of Postville

You can see the areas covered by the plan circled in the map at left. We might benefit from change at some places, while other places don't need to change- they are still useful for businesses or for other uses.

Infrastructure, buildings, and land are addressed in this plan.  

In order to make some of these ideas happen, it will be necessary to think about how we’re organizing ourselves as a community to get things done. That’s beyond the scope of this plan, but directly related to its success.

 

First, let's look at some FACTS & DATA about Postville:

Postville has grown- a lot! 

Unlike many of its neighbors, Postville has gained population over the past forty years. This means there are more people attending Postville schools, shopping at Postville businesss, and paying Postville property taxes. That's a good thing for all of us! But this growth has slowed over the past decade.

We have fewer businesses, 

even as the population has increased  

Surrounding towns have seen the number of businesses increase in the same time period that the number of Postville businesses dropped by nearly 25%. What does this mean? People in Postville often shop in other towns. 

Traffic counts are down since the year 2000.  

Fewer people are driving on some of the busiest roads in Postville. Some of that decrease is probably due to the closing of Iowa Turkey Products in 2003, but data also show a decrease after 2009. People driving through Postville on the highway represent an opportunity for business- and a chance to show people what Postville is really like! How are we using these opportunities?

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Traffic1.jpg

How have these factors affected downtown, 

part of our planning area?  

31

Current businesses or organizations downtown​

6

New or potential businesses downtown​

17

Current vacant lots or buildings downtown​

We know that our population has changed as it has grown. We're a unique rural community!

38%

Postville population 18 years or younger

42%

Percent of population that speaks a language other than English at home

29%

Born outside of the USA

27.1

Median age in Postville​

We've seen some data. Now what?

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