Mayor: Clinton ‘continues to rally’ with $1 billion in projects

CLINTON, Iowa – This community “continues to rally” and attract new businesses and new economic development projects while making improvements. That was the message Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion told a crowd of about 100 people Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 15, during his annual State of the City address held at the Eagle Point Park Lodge. “We […]

CLINTON, Iowa – This community “continues to rally” and attract new businesses and new economic development projects while making improvements. That was the message Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion told a crowd of about 100 people Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 15, during his annual State of the City address held at the Eagle Point Park Lodge. “We have achieved a number of accomplishments in the past year. … These are great signs for our community,” Mr. Maddasion said during his nearly one-hour address before a crowd of Clinton residents, business community leaders and members of the city government.

For much of that hour, the mayor outlined the success stories of big and small projects from the past year, celebrations and city government milestones. One of the biggest highlights of his address focused on economic growth. From 2020 to this year, Clinton has more than $1 billion in capital improvements either ongoing or planned in commercial, manufacturing and industrial projects. That includes about $54 million in new housing – single-family homes and apartments – in the community, according to information provided by the mayor. One of the largest projects in the works is the construction of a new Atlas Roofing Corp. plant near Clinton. This $224 million project is expected to bring about 100 new jobs to the community. Also, improvements to the ADM plant are in the works. The growth in economic development can also be seen in building permits issued by the city. So far this year, there have been 1,625 permits issued that represent projects worth more than $118.5 million in project construction costs. Some of those projects include: $81.8 million in commercial buildings; $6 million in furnace, boilers and geothermal projects; $2.1 million in new homes; $4.7 million for new roofs; $3.5 million for interior remodeling projects; $1.6 million for electrical projects; and $882,000 for exterior remodel projects, according to information presented during the State of the City address.

“The City of Clinton continues to move forward, making this a place you want to be in,” Matt Brooke, city administrator for Clinton, said after listening to the mayor's presentation on Wednesday. In addition to economic development projects, Mr. Maddasion also highlighted road and infrastructure projects, city services and celebrations in the community. Some of those items included:

• Celebrations: One of the biggest celebrations was the Tailgate N' Tallboys country music festival held for the first time in Clinton this past summer. The event will return to Clinton next year from June 6-8. Promotional Information distributed at the Eagle Point Park Lodge event listed the headline acts for the 2024 event. They include Jelly Row on June 6, Bailey Zimmerman on June 7, and the band Shinedown on June 8. Mr. Maddasion said the full lineup of music acts will be announced Nov. 21 at this website. “This was an outstanding event this year. We’re looking forward to it next year,” he added.
• Road projects: One of the largest city projects will center on improvements to Manufacturing Drive and Bluff Boulevard. That is a $40 million project with more than $22 million coming from state and federal funding. That project aims to convert the four-lane sections of the roadway to three lanes; modify intersections to make them safer; reconstruct two bridges; upgrade traffic signals and more. The Manufacturing Drive section of the project will run from the spring of 2024 to the fall of 2025. The Bluff Boulevard section will go from the spring of 2026 to the fall of 2027. “Some of this work will be painful, so prepare yourselves,” the mayor told the crowd about the upcoming road work. More information on the work can be found here.
• Clinton Municipal Airport: The airport was recently awarded the Distinguished General Aviation Award by the Federal Aviation Administration. This is the first time a general aviation airport that does not have airline service has been selected for this honor, the mayor said.
• Clinton Police Department: Crime is down 12.2%, while service calls are up 3.5% and arrests are up 12.9%, according to statistical information based on a five-year average. The department has also hired five new officers this year: Kaleb Pritchard, Casy Mandrell, Markus Hall, Quentynn MacPhee and Charlie Miller.
• Clinton Public Library: The library had 43,112 visits this fiscal year. The checkouts and renewals are up 3%, and computer / WiFi use is up 6%.
• Municipal Transit Administration: The MTA saw a 12% increase in ridership in the past year.