Council directs staff to pursue permanent pocket park at 101 W. Main

Council members directed staff to draft an amended agreement and to bring schematic designs for transforming the temporary art installation at 101 West Main Street into a permanent pocket park.

Amber Danielson of the Arts & Culture Alliance said the site is among the city’s least‑developable downtown lots and that a well-designed pocket park could draw more people, expand seating and increase downtown visits. “We are already talking about landscaping ... we’ve received a $15,000 grant for creative placemaking from AARP,” Danielson said, and she estimated the project could be expanded into a roughly $70,000 build‑out if additional grants and partnerships are secured. Kelsey Stafford, Parks and Recreation director, told council preliminary designs favor low‑maintenance perennial beds and raised planting areas to reduce long‑term upkeep. Danielle Leakin, executive director of the Marshalltown Central Business District, said placemaking investments can make the block more marketable to developers.

Council discussion ranged from maintenance responsibilities to whether the city should own and operate the park; staff said the preferred model would make the park a city‑owned park maintained by Parks and Recreation under an amended partnership agreement with the Arts & Culture Alliance. Council asked staff to return with visuals, a proposed amended agreement and cost estimates.