It was a day of celebration and fun for the City of Ottumwa and we were happy to play a part.  On June 2, we held a special ribbon cutting and dedication of the Canteen Alley project.  It was our pleasure to welcome the Lt. Governor Adam Gregg as a special guest to the celebration in addition to Ottumwa Mayor Tom Lazio and our own Board Chairman Eldon Hunsicker.

Remarks from Eldon during the program included the following,

“On behalf of the Legacy board and staff I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners in the Canteen Alley project.  What started as an idea in the Legacy offices about maximizing City assets (namely the famed Canteen) and creating the standard of what an alley could look like in our downtown, soon took flight with help from our friends at the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Their assistance allowed us to incorporate sustainable elements and storm water management into the project in new and innovative ways and we thank them for their support. We would also like to thank Brett Douglas and Genus Landscape Architects for their creative expertise throughout this project.  Critical partners like the City of Ottumwa, Main Street Ottumwa and Area 15 Regional Planning have been essential in the management of this project and its successful completion and we thank them as well. In addition to funding from IEDA, Canteen Alley has benefitted from the generous support of the Ottumwa Rotary Club and Principal Financial Group.  The support of these organizations has enabled the addition of amenities that truly make this “public space” one that all residents can relax, socialize and simply enjoy the moment (or their Canteen!) in. Thank you all for your collaboration and your shared desire to make our downtown a vibrant and desirable place.”