Thriving By Design
There are many people who have played an important role in the growth and development we are seeing throughout Le Mars, and Mark Gaul, our Community Development Director, has certainly been an integral part of that progress. His wisdom, experience, and steady leadership have benefited our entire community as he works alongside businesses, developers, city leaders, and residents to help Le Mars continue to grow and prosper. Mark has shared his insight with Siouxland Woman readers in the past, and I am always grateful for the opportunity to once again feature his perspective on the exciting things happening in our community and what lies ahead. I’m happy to feature this information that Mark has put together for us. ~Cheryl
If you ask someone outside northwest Iowa what they know about Le Mars, the answer is usually the same: ice cream.
And while Le Mars will always be proud of its title as the Ice Cream Capital of the World, those who know the community best understand that its greatest asset has never been ice cream. It has been its people.
The willingness of neighbors to work together, businesses to invest, volunteers to serve, and local leaders to plan beyond the next budget cycle has quietly shaped one of Iowa’s most successful rural communities. That collaborative spirit was recently recognized when the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority named Le Mars one of Iowa’s newest Thriving Communities.
The designation is certainly an honor, but it is also something much more meaningful. It is an acknowledgment that Le Mars has become a model for how rural communities can prepare for growth without losing the character that made them successful in the first place.
Success Doesn’t Happen Overnight
Communities rarely become thriving through a single project or announcement. They grow through years of intentional decisions.
That is the story behind Le Mars.
Over the past several years, the community has embraced The Le Mars Community Development Plan, a long-range plan created not behind closed doors but through hundreds of conversations with residents, employers, educators, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, and civic leaders. The plan asked a simple question: What kind of community do we want Le Mars to be twenty years from now?
The answers became a roadmap for action rather than a report destined for a bookshelf.
Housing Is About People
The Thriving Communities designation recognizes communities that understand one of Iowa’s greatest economic challenges: housing.
Without housing, employers cannot recruit workers. Young families look elsewhere. Seniors cannot find opportunities to downsize. Communities that want to grow must create housing choices for every stage of life.
Le Mars recognized this early. Rather than treating housing as a stand-alone issue, local leaders connected it with economic development, infrastructure, quality of life, workforce attraction, and downtown vitality. That integrated approach distinguished the community during the competitive state application process.
Building the Whole Community
Visitors to Le Mars quickly notice that growth is happening in many ways.
Downtown continues to evolve with restored buildings, thriving small businesses, and community events that bring people together. Parks, trails, and recreational amenities continue to improve. Infrastructure investments are preparing new areas for residential and commercial development. Local employers continue expanding and creating quality jobs.
None of these projects alone earned the designation. Together, however, they tell a compelling story: Le Mars is investing in the kind of community where people choose to build their lives.
A Recognition That Opens Doors
The Thriving Communities designation brings practical benefits as well. It strengthens Le Mars’ competitiveness for state housing resources and signals to developers that the community has leadership, partnerships, and a clear vision for growth.
Just as important, it tells prospective residents and businesses something that statistics alone cannot: Le Mars believes in its future enough to plan for it.
The Work Continues
Perhaps the most remarkable part of this story is that no one in Le Mars views the designation as the finish line.
Community leaders understand that thriving is not a status to achieve but a commitment to maintain. The Le Mars Community Development Plan continues to guide decisions. New housing opportunities are being explored. Partnerships continue to grow. Investments in infrastructure, recreation, and downtown revitalization continue to build momentum.
For a community that has always believed success comes from working together, the designation is less a celebration of what has been accomplished than an invitation to keep moving forward.
Le Mars has long been known for making the world’s best ice cream.
Increasingly, it is becoming known for something equally important: demonstrating that a small Iowa community, united by a shared vision and a willingness to invest in its future, can accomplish extraordinary things.