Developing Retail in Your Downtown 2026 Downtown Forum Schedule Released Deadline for registration is August 3! Retail is one of the most visible — and challenging — elements of a downtown. While communities often focus on the businesses they’ve lost, successful districts instead ask: What kind of retail ecosystem fits today, and how can we support it intentionally? Join us for this professional development forum designed for organizations — rather than individual retailers — that play a role in shaping downtown retail success. Participants will explore practical strategies to strengthen existing businesses, recruit the right new retail and create an environment where retail can thrive. Participants will learn how to: Assess the feasibility of retail in their downtown Use market data to guide decision-making Support and retain current retailers through intentional programming Increase foot traffic and cross-promotion Recruit new businesses and prepare spaces for future retail Respond to evolving retail trends in small and mid-sized communities The forum includes best practices, peer discussion and hands-on exercises to help participants leave with ideas they can realistically implement in their own communities. Choose your date and location: August 4 — Orange City August 5 — Waverly August 11 — Earlham August 12 — Washington All workshops are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is on your own, with an opportunity to join fellow attendees at a local restaurant. Cost: Free. Refreshments are provided. To register, copy and paste this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Rjl9DshYxEC1ygSrZ96RRVtBZ-WCy4RJmNX5bPXfhVBUQjBTNVY0VlBSQkkyM1lBVzlKNVMyNEw1MS4u&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_c Registration deadline: August 3

Free Forum Webinar: Section 106 Regulations Under Threat On Friday, July 17, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) proposed damaging revisions to the regulations for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). If implemented, these new rules would dramatically diminish the effectiveness of the NHPA and the current legal protections for historic and cultural places. As a voting member of ACHP, the National Trust voted against these changes earlier this week. Join this important and free webinar on Thursday, July 30 at noon (central) that will outline some of the more serious aspects and potential impacts of the proposed changes, provide information about next steps and the timeline for the process, and what you can do to push back against this threat to the work of historic preservation. Register here: https://savingplaces-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/2117846507999/WN_qUj2i_ZqTs-fYMH92nh_3A#/registration

This year, the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is awarding $3 million in grants to support 27 sites across the country that represent Black American joy, resilience, innovation, and activism. Congratulations to Waterloo's Martin's Flats on Fourth and 24/7 BLAC! During the Jim Crow era, the Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern Railroad (WCF&N) train terminal was a safe space for Black travelers and Black Waterloo residents as it housed the city’s only non-segregated concession space and grocery store. The building and the surrounding East Fourth Street district became an epicenter of Black community life and civic engagement in Waterloo. The building is currently being redeveloped as Martin Flats on Fourth, in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visit to Waterloo in 1959 and its contribution to Black community building and civil rights advancement. Grant funding will support converting vacant space within the historic building into workforce housing for traveling healthcare professionals serving Iowa’s rural and minority communities. [Photograph courtesy of Sharina Sallis, 24/7 BLAC] #twentyfoursevenblac #IowaHistory #iowahistory #iowablackhistory #twentyfoursevenblac

Eight Rural Iowa Historic Properties Receive Preservation Grants The Iowa Economic Development Authority’s State Historic Preservation Office has awarded $750,000 in Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grants to support the rehabilitation of eight historic properties in Atlantic, Beaconsfield, Bentonsport, Fairfield, Fort Dodge, Harcourt, Lime Springs and Wapello. Two of these properties were listed on Preservation Iowa's Most Endangered List in the past. Funded through the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, the grants will help preserve historic properties in rural Iowa. The funding marks Iowa’s first award through the competitive federal program since 2020. “Historic buildings help tell the story of a community, but they’re also part of its future,” said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. “By investing in their preservation, we’re helping communities create opportunities for businesses, residents and visitors while keeping these places active and relevant for future generations.” Grants of up to $150,000 were awarded for preservation work at properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The State Historic Preservation Office received 13 applications requesting more than $1.4 million, nearly twice the funding available. This year’s grant recipients are: Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot, Atlantic Former Beaconsfield Supply Store, Beaconsfield Presbyterian Church, Bentonsport Bonnifield Log Cabin, Fairfield Former Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Fort Dodge Harcourt Community Center, Harcourt Lidtke Mill Complex, Lime Springs Fairview Church, Wapello The Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grant supports preservation projects in communities with fewer than 50,000 residents and outside urbanized areas. Eligible applicants included nonprofit organizations, local and county governments and federally recognized tribal councils in Iowa. Projects are required to provide a 30% cash match, comply with federal historic preservation requirements and follow The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.

There's an excellent 30-minute video recording that explains the proposed changes to the Section 106 regulations and what is at risk here: https://culturalheritagepartners.com/war-room-for-threats-to-section-106/ Preservation Iowa will continue to post information about this rewrite and how you can voice your opinions. Stay tuned for updates!

Could this be the end of Section 106 as we know it? A proposed rewrite of 36 C.F.R. Part 800 could fundamentally reshape how the federal government identifies, evaluates, and resolves effects on historic properties. NCSHPOs initial summary outlines the proposal's potential implications for historic preservation and more specifically, for the Section 106 consultation framework established by the National Historic Preservation Act and potential impacts on SHPOs, Tribes, and local communities. ncshpo.org/2026/07/20/the-end-of-section-106-as-we-know-it/