7 Iowa towns receive grants to renovate buildings and divert landfill waste

Half a dozen small, Iowa towns are receiving state funding to address run-down, city-owned structures.

This year’s grant recipients are Coon Rapids, Glidden, Ida Grove, Rockford, Greene, New Market and Menlo. Several of the communities plan to redevelop the buildings for retail or housing.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources oversees the Derelict Building Grant Program . Environmental Specialist Reid Bermel said the agency offers grants to communities with 5,000 or fewer residents.

He said the grants help communities eliminate environmental hazards and divert waste from landfills by reusing building materials.

“We help them either renovate, deconstruct or abate asbestos, essentially," Bermel said.

In Bermel's experience, most of the weight from these buildings comes from brick and concrete. With the correct permitting, he said communities can repurpose this material for shoreline restorations or to use on their roadways. Wood can also be ground up and used as mulch, while light fixtures and desks can be used in other buildings.

According to Bermel, the grants are competitive and communities need a solid plan and vision for the building.

Since 2012, the DNR’s Derelict Building Grant Program has funded nearly 200 projects in over 100 different communities.

The program’s funding is capped at $400,000 annually. Applications are due by the end of February and agreements with the DNR go into effect July 1.