A team of students in the College of Law's Community Empowerment Law Project explored legislative pathways and financial mechanisms to support redevelopment of a large, idle agricultural facility located in the middle of Bondurant. 

Bondurant, Iowa, like other communities in Iowa, is facing a critical question:  How can the city repurpose the grain silo complex in downtown and make it a catalyst for growth and development? This is a complicated question of identity, design, law, funding, honoring the past, and envisioning the future. The City’s goal is to repurpose a 24-acre parcel of land in the middle of downtown, which has silos, grain elevators, and railroad tracks. These buildings have long been part of the fabric of the community and the city skyline. Putting these structures, which can no longer used for industry, to new and creative will be costly. The City asked students a team of students in the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) to consider options for funding revitalization of the area.

The CELP team reviewed the history of the Iowa Reinvestment District Act, legislation that was passed in 2013. They conducted interviews to understand the legislative process related to this act, and researched ways that other states have provided funding to revitalize former business sites, especially those in the agricultural sector. The team located examples of grants and tax incentives and legislative actions that could be borrowed from or extended. Finally, they made recommendations to the City on how to proceed with locating future funding for this site, which is vital to Bondurant's history and future story.