1000 Friends of Iowa Announces 2016 Best Development Award Winners
Dec. 27, 2016 (Des Moines, Iowa) –
1000 Friends of Iowa proudly announces nine recipients as its Best Development Award winners of 2016. Five independent jurors from across the state selected projects that implement the efficient use of our resources to develop sustainable communities that provide a high quality of life.
The 2016 Best Development Award winners are listed below (category, winner, project, city):
- In the Renovated Residential category, Todd Schneider for the School House Apartments in Fort Madison
- In the New Commercial category, Hope Haven Area Development Center Corporation for the Hopefully Yours Thrift and Gift Shop in Burlington
- In the Renovated Commercial category, Blackbird Investments for the Market One Building in Des Moines
- In the Mixed Use category, Indigo Dawn for the Green & Main project in Des Moines
- In the Innovative Leadership category, Johnson County for its Solar Array and Soil Quality Restoration at Johnson County Administration Building in Iowa City
- In the Renewable Energy category, Steffensmeier Welding and Manufacturing for its Solar Field in Pilot Grove
- In the Stormwater: Civic category, the City of Storm Lake for its North Central Stormwater Project in Storm Lake
- In the Stormwater: Private category, Cherry Glen Learning Farm, for its Designed Watershed Mitigation in Polk City
- In the Urban Placemaking category, The Alley KADTS for The Alley in Oskaloosa
“Having such inspirational nominations from all over the state brought a great close to the 2016 calendar year,” stated Kari Carney, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Iowa. “Publicly recognizing significant projects to a wide audience is critical to our mission of educating citizens about responsible land use. I hope our Best Development Award winners will be seen as models for other community projects in 2017.”
This year’s award categories expanded to include Renewable Energy, Transportation/Complete Streets, and Placemaking/Green Space as a way for 1000 Friends of Iowa to express the fact that smart land use and sustainable communities are more than buildings. All of the nominated projects help advance sustainability across our state by considering site placement, design, water efficiency, energy management, materials and resources used, indoor environmental quality, public use, and long-term benefits.
The Best Development Award winners are selected from a pool of applicants each year and judged by an independent group of jurors. This year’s jurors were Ryan Peterson, President of Impact7G; Liz Christiansen, Director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of Iowa; Jeff Geerts, Special Projects Manager with the Community Development Division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority; Maureen Collins-Williams, an Iowa public sector professional who trains, speaks and consults with 21st century entrepreneurs and innovators; and Jeff Hanson, Community Development Operations Manager of the City of Sioux City.
Founded in 1998, 1000 Friends of Iowa is the only organization in the state focused solely on promoting responsible land use in community, state, and federal development decisions. Its mission is to unite Iowans in efforts to protect farmland and natural areas, revitalize neighborhoods, towns and cities, and improve quality of life for future generations.
Additional details about each winning project will be forthcoming.
