Historic gas station in Woodbine to be rehabilitated with $100K grant

DES MONIES, Iowa (KCAU) — The community of Woodbine will see a historic gas station rehabilitated as part of a project.

The community received a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority to adapt the Hickey Oil Canopy Service Station as part of a project to rehabilitate three historic canopy stations along Lincoln Highway in Woodbine. By doing so, it "will create a one-stop shop for realty, enabling related business like title, legal, financial adviser and construction management to happen in one building." The total project cost is $315,168.

According to a press release, the IEDA awarded $930,808 to the Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants to be divided between the 10 communities across the state, with one going to the Woodbine project.

The grants are administered through IEDA's Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs and will help redevelop or rehabilitate underused buildings to stimulate economic growth and further investment in Iowa's historic main streets.

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"Challenge Grants help us preserve rich historic character while breathing new life into our traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts," said Debi Durham, director of IEDA and Iowa Finance Authority. "New businesses and residents are drawn to energized main streets, which radiates outward to grow local economies across the state."

Other projects to be completed are transforming the town's vacant historic building in downtown Keokuk into a first-floor commercial space and upper-story housing and also enhancing five historic storefronts, including Lansing Hardware Hank retail business in Lansing.

For the full list of the communities receiving grants, .