On Thursday, Oct. 8, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Deepu Chowk Housing Development, located on 8th Street in West Liberty. This new development is expected to feature 26 new affordable housing units, allowing for continued growth within the West Liberty community.
For Deepak Giri of Giri LLC, this ceremony felt like much more than the first step towards building this new development. To him, it was the start of West Liberty’s newest chapter.
“What we are really doing is planting a seed for a better future in our community,” Giri said. “A seed will soon grow into homes, into families, into stronger businesses, schools, and a stronger West Liberty.”
The preliminary plans for the Deepu Chowk Housing Development were first accepted and approved by the West Liberty City Council in April of this year. In the months following, Giri LLC, in coordination with WeLead, was able to submit a workforce housing tax credit application for the project, eventually receiving a $1 million housing tax incentive.
As he led the groundbreaking ceremony, WeLead Executive Director Phil Wiese shared his gratitude towards all those who have supported the Deepu Chowk project so far. That included City Manager Lee Geertz, who helped with the application process, members of West Liberty’s city council, and local contractors such as Brad Akers and Bruce and Brad Jipp.
Wiese also recognized Rep. Bobby Kaufmann and Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, who both previously wrote and submitted letters in support of the project.
“Today is a great example of what can happen when a developer, a city, and local partners within the State of Iowa all pull in the same direction,” Wiese said. “Twenty-six new homes here at Deepu Chowk is going to have a transformational impact on a community our size. It represents 26 new opportunities for families and other major investments in West Liberty’s future.”
Mayor Mark Smith shared similar sentiments as he reflected on Giri, his family, and the positive impact they have made in the 20 years they have lived in the West Liberty community.
“(Giri and his family) came to the community 20 years ago, bought a filling station, updated it, and then started being involved in all kinds of community causes,” Smith said. “Over the past several years, I can’t think of a cause that we’ve had here in West Liberty that Deepak hasn’t been a part of.”
Smith also praised Giri’s involvement with state and national projects, as well as his service with the Rotary Club, using this as a way to support international causes, including the fight to end polio.
“This is a person who has not only committed to the betterment of our community, but the betterment of communities across the world,” Smith continued. “A person who came with a Master of Business Administration degree from Nebraska, made West Liberty his home, and then started contributing to our community.”
As someone who has lived in West Liberty all her life, council member Dana Dominguez said she understood the demand for affordable housing within the community, having seen her own friends and families struggle with finding homes.
“When I ran for office, affordable housing was at the top of my list to try to bring to West Liberty, and we’ve had a couple of opportunities to do that. I’m really excited about this development,” Dominguez said.
Sen. Gruenhagen shared he’d had similar goals when running for office, wanting rural communities like West Liberty to continue growing and thriving through supporting projects like Deepu Chowk.
“I am pleased to be part of this groundbreaking ceremony,” Gruenhagen said. “As someone who has lived in rural Iowa all his life, I know the value these tight knit communities bring and the benefits they provide to its residents. (…) I want more people to be able to experience communities like West Liberty.”
When it came time to move the first shovel’s worth of dirt for the project, Giri stood alongside his wife, Amrita, and his son, Adeep, as they each grabbed a shovel.
“Today is a very special day for our family, and I’m truly honored to stand here with all of you as we celebrate the groundbreaking of the Deepu Chowk subdivision,” Giri said. “I believe that when people come together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.”
Original article published by the Advocate News www.wdadvocatenews.com