If you have driven past the former ACT campus lately, you have probably seen that something is shifting – work is being done and the site is starting to open up, take on new energy, and hint at what comes next. Greater IC is excited to support this important redevelopment project in a critical corridor and will be sharing updates as work progresses.
More Than One Project
What is taking shape on the ACT site is not a single project with a single use. It is a mix. The recent announcement of Hills Bank’s investment brings a clear anchor and signals confidence in the site. Senior living and housing planned on the site will add much needed housing capacity for our community. Other businesses are starting to line up with concepts that feel current and community-minded and will bring the kind of daily activity that makes a place feel like a thriving neighborhood.
Letting the Land Lead
One of the strengths of this site is the land itself. Instead of forcing a rigid plan, the redevelopment is working with the terrain. The potential for trails and recreation will wind through the natural, rolling landscape, creating paths that connect people across the site and will shape how people move, gather, and spend time there. One Linn County Conservation planner, landscape architect, and Iowa City resident, Ted Doscher, is supporting trail development for parts of the current site. Doscher’s company, Sinuous Land Studios, has experience with gravity trails and is studying opportunities for both active mountain bike trails as well as seamless natural transitions for connections off site. You can view the draft plan here.
There is already momentum in the types of businesses showing interest in the current plans. Concepts like Brightside / Good Habit (slide 106) will also help create places and services that community members build into their routines that will bring steady activity and help shape the identity of the site from the start.
What’s Next
The ACT redevelopment is a shift in how we think about growth and will bring together a mix of housing types, business uses, education, recreation and outdoor spaces all in one place. It reflects a move toward connection and flexibility rather than single-use development, and we are committed to helping inform, share, and support this emerging community hub as it comes together.
