The non-profit organization is giving the Marshalltown Main Street landmark a Best Development Award on Jan. 21 in the Capitol Rotunda in Des Moines.

The annual award ceremony honors projects or programs in Iowa that showcase sustainability, smart growth, revitalization of towns, improvement of the quality of life for future generations and protecting farmland and other natural areas.

Barb Hagstrand, co-owner of the Gallery Garden, said she was very happy when she was told the Gallery Garden is a recipient of the award.

“I know this is very nice for Marshalltown because I see a lot of people go there,” she said. “It’s nice to be recognized in the state.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The location of the Gallery Garden on Main Street has come a long way from a burnt out pile of rubble. It now houses an urban-style garden with artwork and incorporates healthy water practices.

Hagstrand said this will be the first award the Gallery Garden has received. She will claim the plaque when she goes to the ceremony and if it is weather-proof, it will be placed in the urban-style garden.

The harvest system and storm water management for which the Gallery Garden is being recognized for, implements a 2,500-gallon underground storage tank and the collected water is used on the 900 plants which grow vertically on the wall of the Kibbey Building.

The tank also fills an evaporative fountain and provides irrigation to trees and shrubs in the Main Street garden. Rather than getting water sent to the sewer system, the water is funneled into culvert drains and through underground concrete pipes.

In the nomination form for the award, it was explained that the garden was designed to promote water infiltration and produce 7,000 watts of electricity through 32 solar panels.

“The photovoltaic panels run the pumps, lights, cameras and a portion of the house meter, making this site a net-zero impact,” the form stated.

Hagstrand was not alone in her effort to make the Gallery Garden a reality. Located next to the Kibbey Building on Main Street, she partnered with co-owner Jeff Mitchell of Cedar Rapids and they received assistance from the Iowa Economic Development Authority in the form of a $1.2 million grant.

Before development of the Gallery Garden began, the site was the location of a three-story building that was destroyed in a fire. Instead of an empty lot, it serves as a demonstration of stormwater management.

Despite the science and technicalities of the garden it is a popular location for people of Marshalltown to gather and is an attraction for visitors.

Hagstrand said birthday parties, weddings, fundraisers and gatherings of children to study have been held at the garden.

The vertical garden not only serves as a welcome aesthetic on a downtown building, but also promotes photosynthesis and a small amount of insulation for the Kibbey Building, Hagstrand said.

“It also encourages butterflies and birds,” she said. “The evaporative fountain is not only beautiful but it also helps keep water here by evaporating it into the air.”

Artwork is scattered throughout Gallery Garden in the form of paintings and sculpture, creating an eye-catching and serene atmosphere.

“I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to have this vision and see it completed,” she said.