Ed Raber
Director of Dubuque's True North
Starting anew on the North End is the mission of Dubuque's True North, and the priorities to achieve it include:
Priority 1: Removal of blight and creation of affordable workforce housing. Identify and take actions necessary to acquire, rehabilitate, and re-sell blighted rentals as single-family homes to Dubuque's growing workforce. Identify and take actions to support low-income residents' ability to afford to purchase and maintain these homes, including collaboration with workforce programming, financial institutions, nonprofits, and government agencies.
Priority 2: : Identification and pursuit of the redevelopment, reuse and repurposing of commercial and/or industrial assets with the greatest opportunity for a “transformative” effect. Identify key commercial or industrial properties whose redevelopment, reuse or repurposing would have the greatest positive economic, environmental and cultural impact for the community or neighborhood.
Priority 3: Pursue infrastructure improvements capable of creating the physical, financial and cultural environment necessary to enable new businesses to develop, and existing businesses to reinvest in the north side corridors. Inform, guide and support public action to create a “north gateway” into the city of Dubuque that includes landscaping, street-scaping, traffic design, zoning and business assistance. Identify and implement innovative means to reduce costs and increase viability of new and existing businesses, including targeted support from StartUp Dubuque and access to shared space, shared organizational and administrative services, rehabilitation funds, broadband connectivity and management/mentoring support.
The North End of our community is a place of hard work and pride. When we find Dubuque’s True North, we will once again come to know and enjoy the people and places that have been overlooked for far too long.