The City of Clear Lake is honored to be recognized by the Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-Iowa) with an Implementation award for the community’s progress and execution of the Downtown Clear Lake Plan.

The Downtown Clear Lake Plan is a visionary yet practical program for the development of the traditional center of this lakeside community of 7,700. The test of a good plan is its ability to bring about positive reactions in the private market – to set productive forces in motion and to have the flexibility to guide projects that the plan may not have anticipated. Clear Lake made major progress within a year of the plan’s adoption with residential redevelopment of the former Clear Lake Bakery site, and the energy continued.

Some of the implemented work includes these projects:

· Completion of City Beach Park
· Expansion and completion of City Beach Park due to popularity
· Completion of Three Stars Plaza
· Completion of Buddy Holly Place Streetscape
· Clear Lake Arts Center opened in repurposed bank building
· Redevelopment of blighted areas
· Rehabilitation of the band shell.
· Streetscape enhancements throughout downtown
· Improvements to the Sea Wall
· Completion of downtown park and bathrooms
· Downtown children’s splash pad
· Boat ramp enhancements
· Design for Veteran’s Memorial
· Redstone’s Condos opened, a mixed-use project with lower-level commercial space.
· Even bigger and better community events
· Removal of an obsolete water tower, replaced with a park
· Preservation and restoration of historic building facades

The plan’s success and local commitment stimulated the design and implementation for the lakefront, and the momentum furthered improvements to connecting neighborhoods. Clear Lake’s downtown plan is a case study for best practices that should be celebrated and recognized for successful small-town planning in America.

“Since the plan’s adoption in 2003, the city and its people have experienced incredible success for this small town of 7,700.” – Timothy S. Coffey, MA, IOM- President & CEO Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.