An Oct. 8 public information session shed light on both current and upcoming public and private development projects in the city of McGregor.

Held at the Backwoods Event Center, the event was organized by the Pocket City Progress Committee (PCPC), a city steering committee formed last year for economic development activities within McGregor. PCPC includes members Anne Kruse, Annie Nieland, Janet Hallberg, Jonathon Moser, Audrey Posten, Steve Gress and Tammy Kinley, and is facilitated by McGregor Economic Development Director Brandi Crozier.

Crozier kicked off the public information session with an economic development update.

“After we completed the Main Street project, we tried to hit the ground running, and I would say we did a pretty darn good job,” she said.

A handful of new businesses opened in McGregor in 2025 and several others expanded. Many businesses in town are reporting some of their best sales ever, Crozier noted, and visitorship is booming.

“But we do still face some challenges,” she acknowledged. There are currently no available storefronts for business prospects, and there’s a shortage of single family and senior housing. There are also downtown parking constraints.

“As we continue to grow, we need to do so very carefully and strategically in ways that allow us to thrive while preserving what makes McGregor special, keeping our character, our charm and our sense of community. We are very mindful of those things as we work on economic development here,” Crozier said. “The opportunities before us are tremendous. We have amazing people right here in McGregor. We have people that are interested in investing in McGregor and visionaries that are willing to take on some of these massive historic restoration projects. We have partners all across the state who are cheering us on and helping us. When we work together, believe in our potential and stay rooted here, there’s no limit to what McGregor can achieve.”

A series of presentations followed Crozier’s remarks, chief among them an update on what’s been deemed “The McGregor Project,” which encompasses the vision for seven sites owned by Jeff and Jenifer Westphal. Jen grew up in McGregor, and the inspiration is to make the community a year-round destination through building projects that prioritize authenticity, walkability, history and community connection.

“They all tie together in their own little ecosystem,” according to Ryan Johnson, who works for general contractor Allen Roofing and Construction and spoke on behalf of the Westphals. 

“Community connection is twofold,” he added. “One, making sure the projects don’t already step on what is already here. That they complement one another. Also, trying to make that community connection and involving the community in the overall vision of the projects.”

The Westphals are partnering with Columbia Hospitality, Grounded Hospitality Advisors, RDG Planning & Design and Peak Projects LLC to assure the vision is brought across cleanly and “so everyone understands what each building does,” said Johnson.

On the 600 block between Main and Ann streets, in the area of the former lumber yard, the plan is to construct a home for Jen Westphal’s brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Beth Collins, as well as residential housing for people 55 and older and a community yard.

“This is hopefully gonna take off right after the first of the year,” said Johnson.

Under construction now is The Station, at the site of the former Twin Cities gas station. Originally planned to be a coffeehouse, Johnson said the Westphals have pivoted to a bistro—or lunch and dinner place serving light meals—that will pay homage to a former McGregor business, Woerm’s Wiggle Inn.

“Some of their old menu items, you’ll find on this menu,” Johnson noted.

The building design pays homage to the gas station.

“We tore it down, and we understand there was a lot of heartburn over that. But if you look at this building, it looks like Gator’s gas station, right?” Johnson said.

The Station is anticipated to open in April or May 2026.

Plans are also in the works for the Sullivan Opera House and Alexander Hotel buildings on Main Street, which the Westphals have owned since 2021. The opera house was painted this summer and historic photos were recently placed in its windows and at the hotel. 

“The one thing we hear is, ‘Why isn’t something being done with that?’ There’s a process to everything, and everything can’t be done all at once. So we’re trying to clean everything up, make it look nice,” Johnson said. “Please be patient, because it’s going to take a minute, but there is a vision, and all of them are in certain stages of the process.”

At the opera house, the end vision is transforming two-thirds of the ground floor into a full-scale restaurant. The other third will be a reception area for a hotel that will fill the upstairs. 

The Alexander Hotel will include a lower level bar as well as upstairs hotel rooms. 

“Taking it back to its original,” Johnson said.

Where Joe and Beth Collins currently live on Main Street will be a boutique hotel called the Collins House. The seven- to eight-room, multi-level structure will tie into McGregor’s historic downtown with a brick facade, black around the windows and nice railings.

Between these spaces, the Westphals hope to create a destination for weddings with lodging, dining and reception space. 

“Each one is trying to tie the next one together,” Johnson commented. 

In the pharmacy building, the most recent Westphal purchase, the preliminary vision is an upstairs spa and an apothecary below.

“That’s still in the works, because that’s still pretty new,” Johnson said.

Development plans are also still in the works for the Backwoods Bar and Grill and Event Center site, where last week’s meeting was held. Current tenant Backwoods will remain until Dec. 6, at the conclusion of the Festival of Trees, then relocate to 238 Main St. 

“Once we shut down, we’re going to be moving everything up there, and fingers crossed, are going to be open and ready to go by New Year’s Eve,” said representative Janet Hallberg. “We can’t wait to be up there.”

The structure will then be torn down ahead of reconstruction to the brick streets and infrastructure around Triangle Park starting this spring.

Addressing community concerns, Johnson said an event space is tentatively included in plans for a new building. 

“The scale of it is to be determined yet, and what complements it in the rest of the building,” he stated. 

Johnson added plans are also in the works to address parking to accommodate a projected influx of people, but did not offer specifics. 

He anticipated completion of all the buildings will take five to seven years.

“The plan is to keep having one to two buildings in construction or completion, so it’s kind of like a little train that they’re all getting done, one right after another,” he said.

Johnson stressed the developments are privately funded, utilizing no city funds. 

“So your taxes are not going to go up. What it will do is create a larger tax base so the city has more money in their coffers,” he said.

Another private development discussed at the meeting was the Trilogy Partners condos on the McGregor riverfront. Representative Steve McDonald said the plan is to break ground on the first of two buildings—each with eight units—this spring. The construction timeline for the second building is dependent on sales, according to McDonald.

Each unit will be three levels, with parking on the ground level and in front of each unit, and have elevator capacity. McDonald provided no current price point for the units.

In addition to the condos, the project will include dock slips for the condo owners and a public fishing pier.

“We are really excited to be part of this public infrastructure addition, for not only the condo owners, but all the residents and visitors in McGregor who will be able to access and enjoy it,” McDonald said.

Other updates shared at the public information meeting were:

The bid for the estimated $1.3 million brick street project around Triangle Park will be awarded this fall. A $500,000 Community Development Block Grant and tax incremental financing (TIF) funds will be utilized for the project, according to McGregor City Administrator Denise Schneider. A public meeting on the work, which will also include upgrades to the below-ground infrastructure, will take place in March 2026, then ground will be broken in April or May. Completion is estimated by Aug. 30, 2026. Enhancements to Triangle Park itself will occur simultaneously with the street project.

The city of McGregor has been awarded an Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation grant for wayfinding signage to help visitors traverse town.

The city of McGregor is trying to win a free community mural valued at $25,000 through the Iowa Arts Council, and has been selected as a pilot community for the Creative Places Accelerator Program, also through the Iowa Arts Council. This will provide McGregor with technical resources or people to help the city strategically and carefully plan how to elevate projects with beautification and public art elements.

The city of McGregor is investigating becoming a Main Street community.

The Turner Park: Fitness for All Ages Committee is fundraising for a pickleball court at Turner Park.

McGregor Mayor Russ Crawmer concluded the meeting, thanking those who are investing time and resources into the various projects. He also thanked attendees for gathering information and asking questions.

Crawmer stressed the importance of working together to help McGregor prosper.

“This is an amazing presentation tonight, to have all the different people here,” he said. “We could be a town that’s dead right now from our Main Street project, from COVID, from flooding...but we’re thriving.”