Colfax and Newton Receive Main Street Iowa Development Awards

Colfax Main Street and Newton Main Street projects were among thirteen projects selected from seventy-six competitive nominations to win Main Street Iowa Development Awards at the Main Street Iowa Development Awards Celebration on April 22 in Des Moines.

Colfax City Hall won Best Rehabilitation for Communities under 5,000 Population. Viet-Thai Taste in Newton won Best Rehabilitation for Communities over 5,000 Population.

Colfax City Hall is located inside a 100-year-old building that underwent a massive restoration and renovation project in 2020/2021. The newly renovated building features a restored historic brick façade and window storefront with a modern industrial style office space interior which serves the expanding needs of the City of Colfax offices, the Colfax Police Department offices, and the Colfax Main Street office. As part of the renovation, some of the building’s historic interior features were recycled into interior design elements. Colfax City Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Downtown Colfax’s Spring City Commercial Historic District.

Building owners Bryan Friedman and Natalie Umsted, the co-owners of Goldfinch Growth, renovated a 110-year-old former county garage building that now houses Viet-Thai Taste. The renovation in 2020-2021 created an efficient, updated space for the restaurant while highlighting and respecting the historic features of the building.  

In addition to winning a competitive award for renovation, Colfax Main Street was also recognized for reaching the $5 million mark in private funds invested in commercial district rehabilitation and property acquisition in the Colfax Main Street district since the organization’s inception.

Visit Colfax Main Street’s and Newton Main Street’s websites for more information about the organizations and their work.

For more information about the Main Street Iowa Development Awards, visit the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) website.