Some exterior updates are planned for McGregor City Hall. At its July 15 regular meeting, the city council approved stucco repairs and painting as well as a future art installation on the building’s entrance columns.
According to a Preservation Iowa article contributed by former deputy city clerk and economic development director Duane Boelman, the building at 416 Main St. was originally constructed in 1917 as a Christian Science Church, and later served as a private residence, doctor’s office and Masonic Lodge before becoming the McGregor City Hall in the 1990s. The building sustained damage to the entrance door, fanlight over the entrance, a column, lamp posts, flagpole and roof in the 2017 tornado, and repairs were later made in a historically sensitive manner. At that time, the original double multi-paned entrance doors were also installed.
Current McGregor Economic Development Director Brandi Crozier said exterior painting and stucco repairs have been budgeted the last two years. Staffing transitions delayed bid approval earlier this year, but now city hall personnel would like to proceed.
“Staff would also like input on whether the council would like to change the exterior color of the building,” mayor Anne Kruse told the council.
McGregor City Clerk Patti Ruff said the building has historically been white. It’s currently a creamy light yellow color. She and Crozier showed several new possibilities, including charcoal, sage green and terra cotta—all with white trim. City staff prefers the terra cotta, which they said will make the building columns pop more for the proposed art installation and make the door look more stately.
The council approved a $9,750 bid from Brenen’s Painting for the work, which is anticipated to be done in August.
Additionally, the council gave the go ahead to complete an art installation on the two entrance columns and circulate a request for proposals from artists. The project seeks an artist to create an original, hand-painted public art installation celebrating the enduring legacy of Andrew Clemens. The artist lived from 1857 to 1894, and his intricate sand art bottles remain among McGregor’s most recognized artistic achievements. The project should also complement the historic architecture of city hall.
Rather than reproducing one of Clemens’s bottles, the RFP said artists are encouraged to embody the qualities that made his work extraordinary—careful craftsmanship, graceful composition, layered natural color and timeless beauty.
The project budget includes up to $2,000 for an artist commission, then an additional $500 for project-related products and supplies. Funding comes through a Creative Places grant the city received. Support for McGregor’s Creative Places Initiative is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
“The Iowa Arts Council asked us to bring this forward to the council for an element of including the public. So the public will have awareness of the project and artists will have opportunity to participate,” Crozier said.
A committee will make a recommendation after reviewing artist submissions, then present that to the council for final approval.
Find the complete RFP on the “City of McGregor, IA” Facebook page. The submission deadline is Friday, Aug. 7, and an artist will be selected on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Artwork is to be completed by Thursday, Oct. 15.
Also at the meeting, the council approved a proposal for geotechnical engineering services from Terracon for slope remediation for Prospect Street.
There is currently a slope issue on the hillside behind a home that sits just below Prospect Street. The city asked Davy Engineering to look at the issue and recommend next steps.
“The next step they recommended was to get a proposal for a geotechnical investigation— boring in the street to determine if there is any water flow issues happening under the street that would contribute to it, or air pockets or other things like that. So we would know, potentially, what was causing it or be able to rule out what was causing it,” Crozier explained. “The solutions will be different based on what they find.”
The Terracon work will cost $16,450, although the council asked $750 for traffic control be removed because they felt it was unnecessary for the lightly traveled street.
Additionally, the council approved completing a full audit this year in lieu of the standard annual examination.
