Manchester
Located in Delaware County, Manchester is about 45 miles from Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Waterloo. Its picturesque Main Street and neighborhoods are surrounded by natural wonders and a thriving downtown commercial center. The county courthouse, which sits in the center of town, is on the National Register of Historic Places. A major attraction is the Whitewater Park that runs approximately 900-feet on the Maquoketa River and features six 18" drops.
Manchester was an IISC partner for the 2020-21 academic year. Learn more about the projects completed during this collaboration in an ArcGIS StoryMap.
"The City of Manchester is using the plans and projects from the IISC partnership to assist us with the Iowa Flood Coalition program. This is a first of its kind in the state of Iowa, and I believe this is a direct result of the partnership with the University," says Tim Vick, Manchester's City Manager. "It is through this collaborative effort that allows smaller communities, like ours, to have a bigger reach than we otherwise would have. Working with the professors and students provided us with ideas and concepts that we may not have otherwise considered."
Vick also noted the ways in which the IISC partnership has saved Manchester money or brought in funding: "The partnership with IISC was huge for us in helping to develop concepts and budgetary figures that we could then use as concepts and costs analysisas we applied for grants and/or promoted our projects. The projects that were identified and completed would have cost the City more than we would have been able to afford. I firmly believe we were able to maximize our planning dollars through this partnership."
Projects
Hero Hustle Documentary
Recent Cinema Arts grad Philip Rabalais teamed up with current film student Timmer Penny to create a short film documentary of the Hero Hustle, an annual event that takes place in Manchester Iowa. Enjoy the video below!
Manchester - Maquoketa River Pedestrian Bridge
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for improvements to Manchester's Schram park, including a pedestrian bridge over the Maquoketa River, a parking lot, and a trail connection that links to the existing trail network.
Manchester - Shelly Park Redevelopment
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for improvements to Manchester's Shelly Park, a highly used amenity adjacent to the whitewater rafting course on the Maquoketa River.
Manchester Community Promotional Video
Recent Cinema Arts grad Philip Rabalais worked closely with Manchester city leaders and residents to create a dynamic promotional video for the community. Enjoy the video below!
Manchester Digital Tree Inventory Tool
As part of the ICIGO student organization within the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, students conducted an on-site tree study and created a GIS-based digital inventory tool for city-owned trees in Manchester, Iowa.
Manchester Extraterritorial Zoning Study
College of Law students in the Community Empowerment Law Project assisted the City of Manchester with a study to understand extraterritorial zoning powers, the process of adoption, and recommendations for next steps.
Manchester Fire Station Expansion
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs and provided cost estimates for an expansion to the Manchester Fire Department.
Manchester Residential Subdivision Site Plan & Engineering
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created a master plan for development of a 24-acre greenfield site in Manchester, Iowa.
Manchester Road Closing and Rerouting
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students developed a plan to close a section of road to accommodate local airport clearances by designing a new section of road to reroute traffic.
Manchester Strategic Growth Plan
As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a Strategic Growth Plan for the City of Manchester.
Manchester Tirrill Park Gateway Sculpture
MFA students designed and installed a public art piece for the Manchester community, driven by a process of public engagement so that the piece reflected the values, stories and/or identity of the community.
Update from Manchester: "The City received an anonymous gift of $5,000 to assist in the development of the park area." (Spring 2024)
Manchester Waterway and Dry Run Remediation and Redevelopment
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed stormwater infrastructure to minimize flooding impacts in Manchester, particularly for structures newly identified as being in the floodplain after recent redrawing of maps.
Maquoketa River Watershed Management Plan
As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a watershed management plan for the Maquoketa River Watershed.
West Delaware Community School District Marketing & Branding
Marketing students in the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute developed a marketing strategy to promote the West Delaware County Community School District and to help stem recent open enrollment out of the district.
The West Delaware County Community School District (West Delaware CCSD) is based in Manchester, Iowa and serves the communities of Dundee, Greeley, Manchester, Masonville, and Ryan. The district operates three schools, all in Manchester.
Manchester Site Development and Stormwater Management
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for development of a new residential neighborhood in Manchester, as well as a stormwater management plan for the site.
Manchester Water Source Protection Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created design alternatives for water source protection in areas within and surrounding Manchester, Iowa.