Iowa Department of Economic Development will do an assessment of downtown Decorah next spring

The Iowa Department of Economic Development will be paid $1,000 next spring to do an assessment of downtown Decorah's assets and liabilities.

The assessment follows Decorah's unsuccessful application to be named a Main Street Iowa community.  At a program at the Decorah Rotary Club's Tuesday luncheon, Main Street Decorah chair Llew Jenkins said Decorah received a 70 rating for its application--a high rating, but one which was surpassed by Nevada and Coon Rapids.

Jenkins told the group the Decorah application lost points for not having enough community support, so the Main Street Decorah group is working to try to contact as many organizations as possible over the next two years.  IDED takes applications every other year, meaning Decorah could not apply until 2021.

"It was a real hurry-up" Jenkins said of this year's Main Street application, which was brought together in seven months.  Next spring's assessment by the Iowa Department of Economic Development will give the Decorah group sufficient time to work on the recommendations in time for a 2021 application.