The public is welcome to attend a Thursday noon luncheon meeting on Sept. 14 at the Regional Learning & Cultural Center in downtown West Liberty to learn more about a joint in-depth housing market analysis being held for the community as well as Muscatine and Wilton.
The analysis is meant to help with future strategy and economic development and will be conducted with Atlas Community Studios, an Iowa-based firm specializing in strategic planning and economic development while being hosted by WeLead, the economic development arm of the city of West Liberty.
Kenneth Brooks, director of WeLead, said there’s never been a greater need in West Liberty for housing, but said there has been a lot of development through the past several years.
Along with several small second floor apartments rising above commercial properties, the city has recently experienced construction of three major housing projects including breaking ground on 10 acres of property in early August located just north of Rainbow Drive and east of Garfield Avenue in northwest West Liberty near Dutton Park.
Jason Dumont of GHS Development in Iowa City is owner of the property, formerly proposed as the Buysse Subdivision, and plans to bring 45 new homes to the community in the new development including single family, duplexes and town homes.
Another development already rising on the southwest edge of West Liberty just west of West Liberty Foods is a housing complex on the northernmost end of Short Street, where DeePak Giri is creating the Ganesh Chowk Development, with the construction of at least five four-plex town homes.
The Meadows Community, located just east of the Muscatine County Fairgrounds, is also quickly developing with brand new HUD manufactured three bedroom, two bath homes under construction in a project spearheaded by local real estate broker Brad Akers.
The Meadows is planning for about 40 homes for the new neighborhood.
Brooks said the survey would ask residents why they live in West Liberty and question amenities needed to attract newcomers to the community while keeping local residents.
The project will be completed in four phases including community engagement, data collection and research, market analysis and strategic recommendations. The process hopes to be concluded by February 2024, following a joint presentation in the county and municipalities involved in January.