Work is underway to bring a splash pad to Cartwright Farmers Market. There has been a movement to bring the amenity to Marshalltown for a few years.

Trisha Wilder has big plans for North Second Avenue, home of the Cartwright Downtown Farmers Market, including adding a splash pad.

The market manager has been looking into enhancing the farmers market property with new amenities. She had recently submitted a grant application to the Martha Ellen Tye Foundation to fund the addition of several amenities to the farmers market property. She had already been working with Clapsaddle-Garber Associates to design possible additions.

“What the market group wanted to do was build a bathroom building with a storage unit for market supplies,” Wilder said. “We wanted to extend the shelter in an ‘L’ shape along where the parking lot sits. With the empty lot we wanted to build a pocket park and pollinator garden; possibly a gazebo area and an area used as a staging area for different events.”

The market manager spoke with the Marshalltown City Council Monday about her idea to add more amenities to the property on the corner of North Second Avenue and East State Street. Among the plans some council members are most excited about is a splash pad.

Marshalltown residents have been calling for a splash pad to the point where a nonprofit group, Splash 4 Kids, was created and earned nonprofit status in 2015.

Council member Mike Ladehoff asked for a discussion on splash pads to be put on Monday’s agenda. This coincided with a discussion on the Downtown Implementation Plan which, among other things, aims to beautify the downtown area.

“The reason I’m bringing this up now, there appears to be quite a bit of funding available for this type of combination with the farmers market,” Ladehoff said. “The farmers market is looking at totally redoing their market also where we could develop that entire corner; add the splash pad in together.”

Council member Gary Thompson expanded on ideas he and Ladehoff had discussed concerning a possible collaboration with the farmers market, which included creating a place to host events throughout the year.

Ladehoff and Thompson noted they are not proposing the city should fund such a project. The council discussed its general obligation bonding earlier in the meeting. The bonding discussion focused on deciding how to budget in large projects over the next few years. What the council members were asking is for the council to direct staff, particularly Parks and Recreation Director Geoff Hubbard, to research how to make a splash pad a reality.

“Talking to Julie Hitchins [Executive Director of the Marshall County Community Foundation] coming out of COVID, there’s a ton of grants out there for mental health-type recovery for these kids and families,” Thompson said. “The time is right. The money is out there. We already own three-fourths of the land.”

The land which Thompson referenced, is owned by the city but was donated by Emily Cartwright with the stipulation that it would be used for the farmers market. The portion of the land the city does not own — 132 E. State St. — is owned by Aung Aung and Dah Paw, owners of the Golden Kayin Asia Grocery Store on Main Street. Their store was formerly located at the East State Street property but was destroyed by the tornado.

The council moved to direct Hubbard to work with Wilder and the farmers market on creating plans for the land. Wilder said the components the farmers market group was originally seeking will be included in whatever plans are made.

“I’d love to see it happen,” Wilder said of possible development. “It would be great for our community and downtown area. It sounds like there’s a lot of places we can resource to get funding for this project. I hope we can at least have a bathroom building by next season.