‘Available Buildings Tour’ set for April

Special to The Jefferson Herald

California Congressman Ro Khanna saw so much potential in Jefferson, he brought a delegation from Silicon Valley, the technology center of the nation, to visit the Greene County seat in December. Just weeks later, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds spotlighted Jefferson as a model rural Iowa community in her Condition of State address.

Pillar Technology, a software company, is locating to the northeast side of the downtown square where it is rehabbing an historic building into a modern tech center. The Jefferson Forge will employ up to 40 people with starting salaries of $65,000.

If you are a business owner, an entrepreneur with an idea, a young person wanting to work for yourself, an immigrant with the work ethic to seize the American dream, or a company looking for a trusted labor force and business-friendly tax environment, Jefferson, Iowa, is the place for you.

Come and see what Jefferson has to offer as Greene County Development Corp. partners with Jefferson Matters: Main Street to host a tour of available buildings for business and residential opportunities in downtown Jefferson on April 25 and 27.  The tour involves retail space, office space and housing options within the Main Street District. 

To date, 12 locations will be on the tour. 

The tours will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 25, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27.

Building owners/contacts will be available at each location on  April 25 from noon to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 5 p.m., and on April 27 from noon to 1 p.m.

Register to pick up materials and resource lists at the Welcome Center, 201 E. Lincoln Way.  A waiver to enter the buildings must also be signed.  A Jefferson sign and a local greeter will be welcoming those attending at each location.

For more information or to preregister for the building tour, visit Jefferson Matters: Main Street at jeffersonmatters.org under Events. 

An EntreBASH event targeted for small business owners and entrepreneurs will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. April 25 at the Elks Lodge, 103 W. Harrison St., in Jefferson.  The free event will provide resources for small businesses with refreshments and a cash bar. 

Direct link to more info:  http://www.midwestpartnership.com/entrebash.cfm

“I believe in Jefferson and so should other Americans,” said Khanna, a California Democrat. “There are wonderful buildings, historic and modern, a great mix, available for business and residential opportunities in this rural Iowa city. I’ve been to Jefferson personally, and I’m proud to add my name to the list of people who see it is a model for a 21st century small town. Take a look for yourself during the upcoming available buildings tour. You’ll join leaders from Silicon Valley who traveled to Jefferson with me to see opportunities here.”

Reynolds, a Republican, in her Condition of the State speech in January, said development in Greene County over the past seven years is a model for rural Iowa revitalization.  

“In places like Jefferson, Iowans are already showing that, with ingenuity and drive, our small towns can be as vibrant as they’ve ever been,” Reynolds said. “Since 2012, over 100 Greene County residents volunteered more than 29,000 hours to raise funds, write grants and work on committees. They’ve transformed downtown Jefferson, attracting 14 businesses and rehabbing dozens of buildings. And recently, voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum that will build a new high school that will house a career academy that will feed a new downtown business called the Forge.”

For more information, contact Ken Paxton, Greene County Development director, at ken@greenecountyiowa.com, or Peg Raney, Jefferson Matters: Main Street director, at director@jeffersonmatters.org.