Main Street Waterloo reports volunteer growth, $149 million private investment and plans to expand downtown programming

Jessica, staff member, Main Street Waterloo, gave the City Council an annual update on downtown revitalization and Main Street Waterloo’s work to support businesses, preserve historic buildings and increase community engagement.

Main Street Waterloo said it is a volunteer-driven nonprofit with two full-time staff members and has been accredited since 1996 under the Main Street America model. "This is your Downtown Waterloo," Jessica said, summarizing the organization’s outreach goal to make residents and business owners feel connected to downtown’s growth.

The organization reported supporting more than 200 businesses and over 100 property owners. Within a five-minute drive of downtown there are about 21,000 residents, and nearly 2,000 live inside the downtown district, the presentation said. Per-capita income in that five-minute radius was reported as $21,683 and the median age as 34. Main Street Waterloo said 92.9% of residents within that radius are employed.

Jessica highlighted long-term outcomes the group attributes to its work: about $149,000,000 in private investment in the district since 1996, 318 rehabilitated buildings (17 completed between 2020 and 2024) and 249 net new businesses founding 712 jobs in the downtown district since 1996. She said two new downtown businesses were expected to open by the end of the summer and that the organization supported recent projects such as the Martin Flats rehabilitation and downtown grant recipients Veil Lane Yoga and Try Buy Bakery.

On volunteer and fundraising metrics, the presentation said Main Street Waterloo recruited 121 new volunteers in 2024, recorded nearly 98,000 total volunteer hours since becoming a Main Street community, and increased fundraising by about 90% in 2024. The group runs more than 30 events a year and estimated those events draw roughly 32,000 attendees annually and generate about $1,900,000 in economic impact.

Council members asked how to coordinate attendance at monthly business events. Jessica asked for City Council participation at the monthly “Brews in Business” meetings (third Tuesday) and the “support local cash mobs” (fourth Tuesday) and offered to provide more event information to council offices.

The presentation also noted place-making efforts such as seasonal flowers, public art and the reinstallation of the "Diversity is our Strength" mural, and that Main Street Iowa and the Iowa Economic Development Authority continue to be partners in the national Main Street America framework.

The council did not take a formal vote on the presentation; members thanked the organization for its work and encouraged coordination on outreach and event attendance.