In late 2014, the Chamber board started discussing the need to replace the front deck of the Guttenberg Welcome Center. It was becoming worn, unsightly, and had begun to present accessibility issues through an unstable set of steps and a ramp full of warped, cracked floorboards. RAGBRAI had just ended in Guttenberg, and the Chamber received a generous donation from the Guttenberg RAGBRAI Committee to help fund a variety of possible projects, including replacing the Welcome Center roof and deck, and printing new promotional materials for our community (this project would eventually be completed with assistance from a grant from the Iowa Tourism Grant Program). The roof was placed as the highest priority and dollars from that donation were earmarked for the roof to be replaced in the spring of 2015. In December of 2014, the Welcome Center's furnace died and needed to be replaced immediately, so most remaining dollars from the roof replacement had to be used for a new furnace.
Once the furnace was taken care of, the Chamber board determined that the deck replacement was our next priority after the roof was replaced. We had a few dollars left from the RAGBRAI Committee's donation, so we began to search for grants to help fund the project. The first grant applied for was with Clayton County Foundation for the Future. A nonprofit entity can be awarded up to $1,000 for a project through this grant, so we got to work on our application and requested quotes to first replace the deck's handicap accessible ramp, which was becoming warped, cracked, and difficult to use.
Meanwhile, we learned of a grant opportunity for community projects through the Rotary Foundation and our local Rotary Club. The application process for this grant was a little more strenuous, and required lots of paperwork and signed agreements. We were notified in April that we had been awarded the grant from Clayton County Foundation for the Future. We decided to wait to build the ramp until we heard the verdict on our Rotary grant application. In September, we learned that our Rotary grant application had been approved, and we would receive the rest of the dollars needed to complete the entire deck replacement. Unfortunately, our contractor was booked up for the rest of the fall and we would have to wait until spring to finally complete the project.
Demolition of the deck began on March 21, courtesy of Hefel Construction and several Rotarian volunteers. Huge thanks to Hefel Construction, the Guttenberg Rotary Club and Rotary District 5970, and Clayton County Foundation for the Future! The deck will be dedicated later this spring to recognize the donors and volunteers who contributed to this project's success.
With the new deck, hundreds of visitors and residents will be able to safely and easily access the resources available at the Welcome Center. The deck was first built in 1997 (see photo here).
See the project from start to finish below!
Once the furnace was taken care of, the Chamber board determined that the deck replacement was our next priority after the roof was replaced. We had a few dollars left from the RAGBRAI Committee's donation, so we began to search for grants to help fund the project. The first grant applied for was with Clayton County Foundation for the Future. A nonprofit entity can be awarded up to $1,000 for a project through this grant, so we got to work on our application and requested quotes to first replace the deck's handicap accessible ramp, which was becoming warped, cracked, and difficult to use.
Meanwhile, we learned of a grant opportunity for community projects through the Rotary Foundation and our local Rotary Club. The application process for this grant was a little more strenuous, and required lots of paperwork and signed agreements. We were notified in April that we had been awarded the grant from Clayton County Foundation for the Future. We decided to wait to build the ramp until we heard the verdict on our Rotary grant application. In September, we learned that our Rotary grant application had been approved, and we would receive the rest of the dollars needed to complete the entire deck replacement. Unfortunately, our contractor was booked up for the rest of the fall and we would have to wait until spring to finally complete the project.
Demolition of the deck began on March 21, courtesy of Hefel Construction and several Rotarian volunteers. Huge thanks to Hefel Construction, the Guttenberg Rotary Club and Rotary District 5970, and Clayton County Foundation for the Future! The deck will be dedicated later this spring to recognize the donors and volunteers who contributed to this project's success.
With the new deck, hundreds of visitors and residents will be able to safely and easily access the resources available at the Welcome Center. The deck was first built in 1997 (see photo here).
See the project from start to finish below!
Before: The Guttenberg Welcome Center as of March 18.
Before: View of the ramp: The Guttenberg Welcome Center as of March 18.
Before: The front steps were becoming "soft" and were reinforced in the fall of 2015 to improve stability.
Before: Worn off paint and warped and cracked boards weren't very welcoming for a Welcome Center, and had started to cause accessibility issues.
This photo was taken at around noon on day one. Jason and Josh of Hefel Construction and a few Rotarians spent several hours on the morning of March 21 pulling up screws and tearing off the deck's floorboards, lattice, steps, and railings.
Old, worn boards were removed from the deck and ramp on the morning of March 21.
After a few days of snow and wet weather, Josh Swope and Jason Hefel have finished attaching new PVC decking and are working on the steps and railings on Friday, March 25.
Progress as of March 25. The ramp and steps have been completed!
After: The deck was completed on Monday, March 28. This photo was taken on March 30. Note the expansion on the north (left) side of the deck.
After: The finished ramp as of March 30.
 Before (March 18) |  And after (March 30)! Now all that's left to do is add seating and plant some new flowers! And maybe some new paint around the windows... |
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