Soup supper guests get sneak preview of Nashua Welcome Center
By Kirk Klocke
Charles City Press (Iowa)
December 19, 2008
Nashua, Iowa - A new building that Nashua city officials hope will draw more tourists to north Iowa was open to guests on Saturday, Dec. 13 for a fundraising event.
The new Nashua Welcome Center will serve as a multi-use storm shelter, historical learning center and event hub.
The welcome center project was funded in part by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant intended to help the community construct a storm shelter. FEMA contributed about $250,000. The project was also funded by a Vision Iowa “community attraction” grant of about $150,000. Nashua City Councilman Glenn Hatzky said Chickasaw and the surrounding counties contributed money toward the welcome center. The entire project will cost about $835,000.
Saturday’s soup supper fundraiser gave area residents a chance to dine in the completed activity room and view construction progress throughout the building.
“We thought it would be a good way to show people the building,” Hatzky said.
With ramps and an elevator, the building will be handicap accessible.
Hatzky said the welcome center is energy efficient because it has geothermal heating and air conditioning — a technology that transfers heat to and from the ground.
The storm shelter portion of the building is located on the lower level. The walls in that area are reinforced with concrete and the windows have protective shutters.
In the event of a storm warning, police will be able to drive by and unlock the storm shelter via remote control.
Hatzky said portions of the building may also be leased for events such as wedding receptions.
The welcome center is not officially open yet, but Hatzky said the City of Nashua hopes to have it complete by mid-January.
“We’re hoping it will draw people to not only Nashua, but to northeast Iowa,”
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