Economic Development
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Opportunity Zones 2.0: 15 Black Hawk Tracts Eligible for 2027 Investor Tax Breaks | Hottle Real Estate
Black Hawk County has 15 census tracts eligible for Opportunity Zones 2.0 — five times the three zones on today’s 2018 map. Iowa can nominate only 44 of 175 statewide. New zones take effect January 1, 2027. Here’s the eligible list for Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale, what the renewed tax break does, and why…
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Iowa Agritourism Real Estate: The Business of Pumpkin Patches, Apple Orchards, Haunted Houses and Farm Stands in the Cedar Valley and Surrounding Area | Hottle Real Estate
Iowa farms earned $10.2 million from agritourism in 2022, up 111% in five years, and 58 farms took 89% of it. Here’s what pumpkin patches, orchards, haunts and farm stands mean for zoning, property tax, liability and financing in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Black Hawk County, plus Wilson’s Orchard’s metro expansion and the Gays Mills,…
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College Square Mall Redevelopment: Cedar Falls Adopts University Avenue Urban Renewal Plan and $5M TIF Incentive | Hottle Real Estate
Cedar Falls just put the Mall at College Square inside its own urban renewal area. JDAVIS Properties paid $6 million ($17.21/SF) for the 1969 mall in March. The city now expects to offer up to $5 million in tax-increment grants on new value. Here’s what was approved, what’s still being negotiated, how it compares to…
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Iowa Site Readiness and Industrial Sites: Site Selectors Guild Insights on Business Growth Opportunities in the Cedar Valley
Iowa site readiness insights from the 2025 Site Selectors Guild forum: workforce, infrastructure and industrial sites in the Waterloo–Cedar Falls region.
