More than 20 years invested in our Downtown!

The investment the Dubuque community has put into its downtown is unprecedented across the state of Iowa. Twenty years ago, t-shirts touting “The Last One Out of Dubuque, Turn Out The Lights” represented the sad fact that Dubuque was a dying community. Through the hard work of city leaders, business leaders, private enterprise, and volunteers, Dubuque has seen a dramatic renaissance. Dubuque Main Street has been at the heart of this rebirth.While investment numbers, in terms of dollars and employee base, are impressive, what is even more important is the establishment of a sense of place. The Dubuque Main Street community has invested over $118 million in new construction, $68 million in building rehabilitation, and $5 million in façade renovation in the past 20 years. Job growth in the Main Street district is slightly over 1800 employees in 20 years. But Dubuque has created something better in its downtown district—a healthy community with a tremendous social element. The social element, while not easy to define or describe, is the essence of every downtown community.

From building and business owners to the contractors themselves, the renaissance and rehabilitation that has occurred in the downtown district would not have been possible without the commitment and faith of developers. Dubuque is about people working together to find ways and programs to close financial gaps. These private commitments include office buildings, restaurants, private entertainment facilities, cultural venues, living quarters, and public improvement projects. Hardly a summer weekend can go by without the influx of a festival, special event or performance. A corridor of the arts brings additional opportunities to have random encounters with old friends on the way to the theater or symphony. This vibrant social infrastructure is certainly no less important than the physical element of the Dubuque community. In fact, it is defining the Dubuque community. The lights are back on and Dubuquers are dancing in the streets. Congratulations to the entire Dubuque community for more than 20 superb years of downtown development!

~ Thom Guzman Director, Iowa Downtown Resource Center Iowa Department of Economic Development