SPENCER, IA (northwestiowanow) – At this year’s Main Street Celebration and Micros Grant Reception, three local projects were awarded funding to support downtown revitalization efforts in Spencer.

Craig Neidersheiser earned 3rd Place and $2,000 for his continued renovation work at 115 Grand. After purchasing the building in 2018 and updating the living space, the final step is to complete the tuckpointing on the exterior.

Jay and Garek Norton received 2nd Place and $4,000 to renovate an upper-story office space into a two-bedroom family rental unit—bringing new life to a previously unused part of their building.

The Grand Prize of $10,000 was awarded to the Clay County Heritage Center. The funds will be used to sandblast and seal the east-facing wall of their building, creating a more welcoming entrance to the Main Street District. Executive Director Braden Faline and board members accepted the award.

The Micros Grant program was also used last year to help 38 businesses recover from a major flood. Spencer Main Street President Eric Meeter reflected on that effort:

While recovery is still ongoing, Meeter said the community has made strong progress.