After more than a decade of debate, planning, and design, the Osceola City Council and Osceola Chamber Main Street (OCMS) announced their targeted date for the completion of Osceola’s Downtown Streetscape Project. Anticipating the redesign of Osceola’s historic square to be an event worth celebration, the date set for completion will coincide with Osceola’s 175th Anniversary and be recognized during the July 4th Independence Day celebrations in 2026.
“We’re excited to see this project come to fruition,” said Osceola’s Mayor, Thomas Kedley. “And to celebrate its completion during our city’s 175th anniversary makes the occasion even more meaningful.”
In 2018, Osceola Chamber Main Street, took on the application process to have Osceola’s downtown square recognized on the National Register of Historical Places. With recent building improvement programs along with infrastructure updates made during the streetscape project, the city and chamber expect a breath of new life for the district.
The construction for the streetscape project will be broken down into two distinct phases to alleviate the impact to business and traffic around the square.
“We’ve seen a lot of new activity centered in our historic downtown,” said Ashleigh Eckels, OCMS Executive Director. “With the completion of the streetscape project, we hope to see even more events and an increase in visitors from across the region.”
While the geometrics of the square will remain, the design of the downtown streetscape project will bring Osceola’s historic district a fresher, more unified look. Some of the updates include new poles and lighting, attractive new pavers throughout surrounding parking areas, and pedestrian bump-outs and crosswalks connecting intersections to help make the area more walkable and ADA compliant. Much of the design will integrate a historic feel to tie in with improvements made during the Osceola Amtrack Station’s redesign.
“We really want to lean on the history of our community,” said Kedley. “The designs will integrate an Osceola of 1851 feel, but provide amenities focused on Osceola’s future.”
More than cosmetic, the streetscape project addresses many updates that dually address aesthetics as well as aging infrastructure and safety for those who frequent the area.
The genesis of the streetscape project came in 2012 from then Mayor Fred Diehl. In a city review of infrastructure for community improvement planning, Diehl, the City Council, and others began documenting the deterioration of the buildings and the infrastructure around the square. With many buildings, their sidewalks, lamp posts, and the underlying infrastructure revealing their age, along with updated laws pertaining safety, the streetscape project was initiated to address these issues and help position are area for growth and sustainability.
New, updated infrastructure will help with the quality of water being sent to Q-Pond. {Click images to view larger in your browser.}
As part of the design, the new parking pavers will augment a storm water management feature that will absorb rain and runoff and redirect it. The paver system, along with a resized traditional storm system, will add storm water storage during heavy rain events and help with improving the quality of the storm water that ultimately ends up in Q Pond.
The project will also construct a new water main around all four sides of the square, replacing the existing main that is over 100 years old. Water service lines will also be replaced, a project that was likely imminent due to forthcoming lead service line replacement requirements currently under consideration by the federal government.
“ This project has been in a planning phase for a long time.,” said Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator. “It’s exciting to see it move forward. The project will improve traffic and pedestrian safety and resolve utility issues.
With years of planning involved in the streetscape project, City officials were dedicated to addressing the financing for the new updates. Wheeler and the Osceola City Council reviewed and applied for various grant opportunities from the Federal and State levels to local CCDC partnerships and were able to secure funding of more than $100,000 through a Water Quality Storm Water Grant and another $2 Million through the Sponsored Watershed Program. The Iowa DOT is also contributing funds for the improvements on Main Street, which is US Hwy 69.
The City Council took action to accept bids for the project at their September 17th meeting. Osceola Chamber Main Street met with building and business owners with Main Street Iowa to discuss the project on September 26th. The City Council will consider bids at their first meeting in November. Once all is said and done, construction is expected to start as early as Spring of 2025 and completion just in time for the Independence Day Celebrations of 2026.
“These updates are a long time coming,” said Mayor Kedley. “We’re excited to see our community grow and become a shining example for everyone in south central Iowa and beyond.”