ATLANTIC, Iowa (KMTV) — A nonprofit is working to transform Atlantic, Iowa, with an $84 million investment aimed at solving some of the biggest challenges facing small towns: housing and childcare. Without those two things, community leaders say it's hard to attract prospective employers and young families.
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Vision Atlantic is developing a new neighborhood, Camblin hills, that will include market-rate single-family homes, condominiums and very likely some townhomes — the first major housing development in Atlantic since 1978.
Co-founder Christina Bateman said the lack of new options is a barrier for people considering a move to the community.
"So really when people are looking to come here there is hardly anything for new options," she said.
The development will include 142 new housing units built over the next four years. Bateman says Vision Atlantic believes the condominiums will be popular with older neighbors.
"Atlantic has a significantly older population, so these condominiums are going to serve a great purpose in opening up some housing for these older folks to move into which opens up their housing for others," she said.
Jonathan Moe, the incoming CEO of Cass Health — a critical access hospital in Atlantic with more than 400 employees — is among those already benefiting from Vision Atlantic's work. Moe is building a new home in Camblin Hills, but his family is temporarily staying in one of the short-term, rental tiny homes the nonprofit recently built. The tiny homes can serve as temporary housing for traveling healthcare workers or just visitors to the community.
Moe says hiring for healthcare workers is competitive.
"It's not only recruiting them to the organization but you're recruiting them to the community," he said.
Before accepting the position, Moe and his wife — a school nurse — also made sure Atlantic had childcare available for their family.
Dan Haynes, executive director of the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, says the availability of childcare matter to employers.
"All of these businesses that have employees, they all need childcare," Haynes said.
Vision Atlantic has raised most of the $39 million needed to build a bigger childcare center and expand the current YMCA. The lead donor, as with many childcare projects across Southwest Iowa, is the Charles E. Lake Foundation.
Haynes says the community has unique opportunities because it is about halfway between two cities.
"We want to be that hub between Omaha and Des Moines ... there's a 40 mile radius around Atlantic here, so we can be that place," he said.
Bateman says the scope of what Vision Atlantic has accomplished is impressive for a community of roughly 6,700 people.
"Anyone would be so fortunate and feel blessed to get one piece of this big project done, but we've been blessed and fortunate to do all of them at once, which is amazing," she said.
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