10 Big Ideas for Dubuque’s Future

When Dubuque residents gather together and dream big, amazing things happen. They bring new resources to the community, build new amenities, and improve the quality of life for their neighbors.

With the announcement of the top 10 Envision 2030 ideas to strengthen the region, the people we call neighbors are once again set to make amazing things happen.

During The Big Reveal event at the Dubuque Museum of Art on October 16, Envision 2030 facilitators – the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce – literally uncovered the top 10 ideas, announcing them to a crowd of 300 eager people.

“We all love this place so much that we have dared to dream up the biggest, most impactful ideas to make it even better than it is today,” Nancy Van Milligen, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO, told the crowd. “This process has ignited the passion of our fellow community members and empowered them to not just imagine the future of our region but to shape it.”

The top 10 ideas, in no particular order, are:

1. Heart of Play: All-Ages Sports Hub
2. Industry to Innovation: Dubuque South Port Revitalization
3. Grow, Cultivate, Eat: Access to Healthy Food
4. Great Minds: Collaborative Brain Health Services
5. Book and Build: Expanded Library Services
6. Captivating Shorelines: Mississippi Riverfront Reimagined
7. Ageless Support: Center for Senior Well-Being
8. Water-Powered Fun: Community Aquatic Center
9. Putting Down Roots: Community-Centered Housing
10. Where Curiosity Sprouts: Children’s Museum

Go to envision2030.org for details about each idea

To announce the ideas, the Foundation commissioned pieces from local artists, each of whom was asked to interpret one of the top 10 ideas in their style. The art was displayed at The Big Reveal alongside covered posters that, when uncovered, prominently displayed the big idea along with an artist’s statement.

The pieces ranged from vibrant paintings on canvas to sculptures to mixed media creations, while the artists included longtime fixtures of the local art scene to newcomers who just recently started creating. Guests had the opportunity to bid on the art, with proceeds going to the Envision 2030 fund.

When members of the Envision 2030 Steering Committee announced each idea, cheers erupted from the crowd. For many in attendance, the ideas represent important steps toward projects and initiatives that have long been on the community’s wish list.

“As a father, I think a children’s museum is going to be such a cool amenity for Dubuque, not just as an educational resource but also because places like that end up developing core memories for families,” said steering committee member Brandon Lynch.

One of the key tenets of the Envision 2030 process was to ensure that voices representing the spectrum of Dubuque’s demographics were included. In total, community members submitted more than 3,000 ideas.

“We wanted to make sure something for everyone is reflected in this top 10,” said steering committee member Wendy Scardino.

While the past seven months have been filled with imagination and excitement, the next phase of the process is when the tough work begins. Community members and organizations will be responsible for owning the ideas and finding ways to implement them by 2030.

When the Community Foundation tackled a similar project 20 years ago with Envision 2010, a combination of civic engagement, nonprofit expertise and donor support helped make the previous top 10 ideas, including the Millwork District revitalization, Crescent Community Health Center and the riverwalk, reality. Each started as idea, and many became today’s beloved assets.

With the Envision 2030 results now set and local leaders already forming plans to implement the ideas, Dubuque has an opportunity to build the future that residents imagine.

“This process highlights something I’ve found to be true since the Community Foundation opened its doors in 2003,” Van Milligen said. “Amazing things happen when people are engaged in their community.”