Great places like Perry deserve to have their greatness affirmed and reaffirmed.
The city of Perry received the Iowa Great Places designation in 2011 from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the Iowa Arts Council and the Iowa Great Places Advisory Board.
That five-year designation expired in 2016, so the Perry City Council voted at its last meeting to make Perry great again by applying for re-designation as an Iowa Great Place.
“This is actually something that’s new this year,” said Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson, “the opportunity for communities to repply for designation.”
The greatness of an Iowa Great Place resides in the “strong vision” of each “unique community” that values “innovation” and enhances “vitality and quality of life, while staying true to what makes (a) community unique,” according to the program’s website.
Part of the greatness of Perry’s 2011 designation as an Iowa Great Place was the $100,000 it brought the city for putting a roof on the Perry Resource Center, now known as the Nudgers building at 1216 Second St. in downtown Perry.
Once designated, an Iowa Great Place receives professional development, technical assistance and networking opportunities from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and other state agencies give Iowa Great Places special consideration for programs for three years following designation.
“It’s great that they’re opening this program back up for previously designated communities,” Peterson said.
Cities applying for re-designation earn points for their “continued visioning efforts,” for demonstrating progress on their Vision Plan and for attracting partners to their greatness vision. Re-designation will let Perry present new projects for endorsement and potential funding.
“The designation will be great,” said Perry Mayor John Andorf, “but I think all of us feel Perry is a great place already. Still, it will be nice to have the designation.”
The Iowa Great Places program supports community projects that “are integrated with a shared vision and set of strategies, involve significant partnerships and collaboration and focus on the development of local and regional assets” in the following areas:
• Arts and Culture
• Architecture
• Diversity
• Entrepreneurial incentive for business development
• Historic Fabric
• Housing Options
• Natural Environment
• Amenities
The application deadline for re-designation is May 1, and applicants will be notified of designation decisions by June 29.
