Malvern awarded DCA grant

MALVERN - The Malvern community has been named the recipient of of a $292,900 grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and in the process has been designated as one of “Iowa’s Great Places.”
Malvern will be among seven communities in the state to receive grant funding for cultural development projects.

“The Iowa Great Places grant is a huge win for Malvern right now,” Malvern city council representative and Malvern Area Betterment Association (MABA) spokesperson Kate McGann said. “We are coming off of a successful downtown facade improvement project, and this is the next logical step in that process. Our downtown has improved greatly over the past few years, but we still don’t feel like we are done yet.

“We want to provide a great place for locals and visitors, and an environment in which our existing businesses can be successful while also trying to attract new small businesses to add to our mix.”
McGann noted the grant dollars are being matched by $170,000 from Malvern Trust and Savings Bank and smaller grants from other agencies.

“The impact will be great. We received funding to implement wayfinding signage, public art (which will include large sculptured metal trees and a mural on the north side of Mulholland Grocery), and a pocket park on Main St. to provide bike racks and additional seating for riders of the Wabash Trace,” she said. “Grant dollars will also provide shading in the existing Heritage Park. Lastly, new curbs and sidewalks in the main portion of downtown as well as improvements to the light poles will be completed.”

A stipulation of the grant is that the project be completed within three years. McGann said the community’s timeline is to have all the work done in 18-24 months.