Local business to hold grand opening celebration thanks to UIU grant
Rumor Prom & Bridal, 2012 recipient of Upper Iowa University's $100,000 UIBD grant, will host a grand opening celebration February 9at its location at 10 S. Main Street, Fayette, Iowa, and fashion show Sunday, February 10, at the Fayette Opera House.
FAYETTE, Iowa (February 4, 2013) – A new business is dressing up Fayette's downtown thanks to a $100,000 grant from Upper Iowa University. The Upper Iowa Business Development (UIBD) grant is offered annually to new or expanding businesses in Fayette. Rumor Prom & Bridal, owned and operated by Fayette native and UIU alumna, Cathy Langel, will host its Grand Opening February 9 and 10 in the renovated, century-old building at 10 S. Main St.
The UIBD grant was funded by a $500,000 endowment designed to spur economic development in Fayette, creating jobs and helping to make the hometown of Upper Iowa University a lively commercial sector. The program was initiated by UIU Board of Trustee Chair Bob Firth and his wife Betty, who is also a trustee. To date, the UIBD grant has generated more than $1.3 million in retail sales and created over 30 jobs, in addition to bringing new property tax revenue to the city of Fayette. Rumor Prom & Bridal is the fourth business to benefit from the grant.
"We were especially pleased to award this year's UIBD grant because it resulted in extensive restoration of a badly dilapidated structure on Main Street," said Andrew Wenthe, UIU vice president of external affairs. "It was very important to rehab that building as part of the ongoing face-lift of downtown Fayette, which is part of the commitment the University made through its strategic plan to partner with the city on our mutual economic development."
Rumor Prom & Bridal will be open Saturday, February 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Live music will be featured all day, and a masseuse will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wedding gowns, prom dresses and tuxedos will be on display and available for purchase.
Rumor Prom & Bridal will host a fashion show at the Fayette Opera House from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 10. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.
Applications for the next UIBD grant will be opened in 2013. Anyone interested may contact Wenthe at wenthea@uiu.edu or 563-425-5348.
About Upper Iowa University Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to some 6,200 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.