![]() ![]() Parts of city operations are in the old headquarters building along with Newton Economic Development and Gezellig Brewery, which has space on the first floor. Less than 20 percent of the space is being used. The buildings mostly sat empty for around a decade, until the Des Moines Area Community College, or DMACC, and the city of Newton helped develop it into a new co-working space. While sections of the Maytag plant have been torn down since Maytag’s departure, the headquarters and a couple of other buildings remain. Now, we don’t have that.” Plans for legacy plaza Back then, we didn’t have to worry about some things because Fred Maytag would just fund it. “If you’re a Newtonian, you’re extremely passionate about this community. “If you don’t have community buy-in, nothing will ever happen,” Yeager said. ![]() In the early 20th century, coal mining declined and washing machine assembly increased.Īnd this year Newton residents have seen the city grow and prosper due to a diverse economy and community involvement. The majority of the city’s life was tied to Maytag, founded in 1893.īefore the city built washing machines, the Jasper County seat’s growth was fueled by coal mines. Newton, with more than 15,000 residents today, was founded in 1846. “We had around 12 vacant buildings back then in the downtown area. “In 2008, the shops we lost, it was scary,” she said. Her business had been located in the heart of downtown Newton since 2002. Yeager, a lifelong Newtonian, was a full-time hairdresser when Maytag left. It wasn’t just your dad or your mom, it was your entire family that worked (at Maytag), so everyone lost their job here as small businesses were also tied to Maytag.” If you don’t have community buy-in, nothing will ever happen. “Some days you could walk through the town and almost hear a pin drop,” Newton Main Street Director Erin Yeager recalled.
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