With the new wayfinding signs going up around Marshalltown, you may have seen a reference to the Linn Creek District. If you follow City Council meetings, you have also heard a little about the Linn Creek District.

This is the new description being used to describe a cultural and recreational destination in Marshalltown, which started in 2018 when the City adopted a Wayfinding Master Plan. This plan provided a unique, consistent design for all levels of signage you might see in the City. The Master Plan also identified important places throughout the community that visitors and residents alike should be visiting.

As we looked at the YMCA, Aquatic Center, Mega-10 Park, the Skate Park and more, we realized a sign trying to list all of these awesome recreational destinations was going to be way too big. The best way to get around the problem of having too many awesome locations in one area was to call it something else. Thus, the Linn Creek District was born.

Since 2018, the District has developed even further. We now define this unique area as starting with the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center, continuing west to capture the Little League Baseball fields, Softball Complex, American Legion golf course, and more. There is nowhere else in Marshalltown with this many recreational opportunities.

There is more in store for the Linn Creek District. The city is applying for a Destination Iowa Creative Placemaking grant to add to the long list of great features already in this area. The 2019 Iowa River’s Edge Trail Placemaking Plan put the trailhead for the Iowa River’s Edge trail in the heart of the Linn Creek District with the Softball Complex and Skate Park, which is part of our application.

We have also been working to connect the Freedom Rock with the River’s Edge Trail, and a new bridge across Linn Creek is needed to make this connection at least to the new trailhead area. The City Council has had a lot of discussion about a splash pad starting with the current budget that was developed in early 2022.

As we looked at our community and how to create a destination that served more than just the youth of the community, this project has morphed into a community water plaza. All of these assets coming online over time would be great. All of these assets coming online at once will continue to make Marshalltown a vibrant community that provides opportunities for residents and visitors alike to play and thrive.

There are a lot of great things happening around Marshalltown, and I hope you take some time to discover the Linn Creek District and all that it and Marshalltown have to offer.

——

Jessica Kinser is the Marshalltown city administrator.