It’s not often that the grand opening of a refurbished historic building outside of Des Moines attracts the attendance of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds; Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen; Iowa Speaker of the House Pat Grassley; and Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham.
That’s just a sliver of the dignitaries who were in attendance earlier in June when Kent Worldwide unveiled its new division headquarters in the former historic McKee Button Co. building near downtown Muscatine.
The grand opening celebration was held to honor the $20 million renovation project that has transformed the old building at 1000 Hersey Ave. into modern office space, according to a QCBJ article. The building, which overlooks the Mississippi River, is now named McKee Plaza and is home to Kent Worldwide’s Consumer Brands Division headquarters. (Kent Worldwide, formerly Kent Corp., is a leader in the manufacture and marketing of ag-based specialty ingredients and many consumer products. It is headquartered in Muscatine.)
The dignitaries in attendance subtly illustrate the uniqueness of this refurbished building, but most importantly, the influence that the company and the Gage Kent family have on politics, academia (specifically Iowa State University), business and industry across the State of Iowa.
“Historic buildings are tangible symbols of a community’s past, and repurposing these gems creates such character-rich spaces for new opportunities,” Ms. Durham, director of IEDA and the Iowa Finance Authority, said in a Dec. 3, 2024, news release. “In addition, these projects often serve as a catalyst for the redevelopment of a block, a street or a district.”
Kent received $5.586 million through the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, which provides a state income tax credit to projects that rehabilitate underused or vacant historic buildings while maintaining the historic character-defining features that enhance neighborhoods and communities.
Built in 1907 on the banks of the Mississippi, the former McKee Button now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building represented the backbone of Muscatine’s industrial life for more than a half-century before plastic buttons were introduced.
Downtown Muscatine has seen several historic buildings refurbished over the past decade. HNI renovated and expanded the former Free Press Building to house its new corporate headquarters and a showroom for Gunlocke, a division known for high-end wooden furniture; and the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine also purchased and renovated a historic building downtown.
Ms. Durham said the updated and newly named McKee Plaza building will be a place that will draw people to the community.
“You know the importance of place. … You are creating a community that people will want to live in,” she added, according to the QCBJ article.
And that is precisely why Kent has invested so much in Muscatine. It wants and needs employees, but also wants and needs employees to live in the community. This helps.
We applaud Kent’s continued investment and historical preservation in downtown Muscatine and its civic-mindedness, which should be a model for other companies across the region and state.
