Momentum continues to grow for the proposed Lake View Community Center as the fundraising total has now surpassed $375,000. Earlier this week, the Lake View Hometown Pride Committee announced they had received a $10,000 donation towards the project from an anonymous donor. Administrator, Scott Peterson, says the gift was a welcome surprise.
This is only the latest in a recent string of substantial donations for the estimated $1.45 million project. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced last month Lake View had been selected to receive $250,000 for the community center through the Iowa Creative Places program. Peterson says that grant was a huge boost to their fundraising effort.
Between private donations, grants and the $500,000 in tax increment financing (TIF) funds pledged to the project by the Lake View City Council last year, they are about $500,000 short of the $1.45 million goal. Peterson says they are optimistic they will be able to reach that mark if given enough time.
Signs have been appearing in yards throughout Lake View in support of the community center. Results from a survey distributed in 2019 show about 64 percent of resident indicated a facility like the proposed community center was needed. However, some opposition to the project still exists. Most critics do not dispute the idea of a community center, but they argue it should not be owned by the city due to concerns regarding long-term operating costs.
