Residents waited two years to see what the Marshalltown Community School District was doing with the Orpheum Theatre on Main Street. On Tuesday, they found out after officials cut the ribbon and gave the eager crowd the first look at the new Welcome Center.

Even though the center will not officially open to the public until July 5, roughly 60 people attended the cutting and listened to what the plans are for the facility.

Director of Instruction Shauna Smith, who physically cut the ribbon, said she remembered when Superintendent Theron Schutte told her about the purchase of the center for only $1 from the Iowa Valley Community College District in 2021. At that moment, Smith said big dreams began to take shape. Studies of similar facilities in Iowa began, and she said they took some aspects of those but wanted to make it better.

“We know what our community needs,” Smith said. “We’re going to put our own Bobcat Marshalltown way on this Welcome Center and we’re going to nail it. I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll be impressed when you go inside.”

She said the Welcome Center will help make families feel welcome and even provides children with a play area. Different needs will be met, and the district will be able to communicate with everyone via the various languages spoken in the community.

Schutte provided the crowd a brief history of how the district purchased the building.

“The original intent was for this to happen two years ago,” he said. “With the challenges the courthouse faced, the Iowa Valley District felt it wasn’t right to move the courts out of it.”

At the time of that discussion, Schutte said a communications and marketing audit determined a district of Marshalltown’s size and diversity should have a way to orientate new families and students. The Welcome Center fulfills that need and more.

In addition, a room upstairs will be used for a couple different high school classes. The front lobby, previously an area for concessions, will be converted into a museum which will contain Jean Seberg artifacts. The district will also make the Black Box Theater and the auditorium available for public use.

“We have some exciting projects coming our way,” Schutte said.

One of those exciting projects was announced by Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Hall. The center will host the Iowa High School Esports Association’s annual state competitions.

“We were notified a couple weeks ago we were successful in landing that,” he said. “That will happen three times a year starting this fall. The [Welcome Center] will be the premiere location when it comes to hosting state esports. For those who don’t know, the fastest growing high school activity right now — over 200 school districts participating in esports. We are excited to host that right here in Marshalltown.”

Welcome Center Manager Rachel Inks said she was excited with the turnout of the ribbon cutting and about families utilizing the facility when it officially opens.

“I really want this to be a welcoming place for our multicultural families,” she said. “Education is important as well as helping to learn their story and helping propel them forward.”

Inks added the Welcome Center will help unify the community by helping meet families’ needs immediately, such as making referrals to appropriate organizations.

“We’re going to strengthen the families by strengthening the generations,” she said. “If we can get those referrals made to our strong community partners first, we can let them do their job and we can focus on education. Those go hand-in-hand. I think we can make a network of resources.”

Mayor Pro-tem Mike Ladehoff spoke on behalf of the City of Marshalltown. He said the city has always enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with the school district.

“It seems like we are kind of getting used to projects and new things, incredible things that this staff and board is doing every year,” Ladehoff said. “That does nothing but make Marshalltown a stronger city.”

He said the center will be the focal point for new families coming here. The amount of work they need to do to establish Marshalltown as their new home is incredible, he added, especially if the families do not know anyone.

“That’s why I am so excited, because imagine how much help this is if you’re moving to Marshalltown,” Ladehoff said. “It’s almost a one-stop-shop. . . . This really puts Marshalltown out ahead.”

WELCOME CENTER:

Opening date: July 5

Address: 220 E. Main St.

Operating hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.