Ottumwa’s newest landmark is now complete. The Market Street Landing Gateway Arch marks the first finished project in the Market Street Landing Riverfront Development, built in under five months to welcome residents and visitors. 

Commissioned by the Ottumwa Legacy Foundation and gifted to the City of Ottumwa, the Gateway Arch incorporates steel trusses salvaged from the historic Ottumwa Armory Coliseum, a hub for community events for nearly seventy years. These trusses were identified during Ottumwa Riverfront Steering Committee meetings, where members recognized that repurposing them would preserve a meaningful piece of local history. 

The Gateway Arch was designed by Genus Landscape Architects, with Iowa artist Hilde DeBruyne creating the illuminated vitreous glass artwork featured on the two brick columns. The artwork celebrates Ottumwa’s industries, river, bridges, and civic spirit. 

“The Gateway Arch sits in a location where it feels like as though has always belonged, welcoming everyone while honoring Ottumwa’s history,” said Kelly Genners, Legacy Foundation President/CEO. “It’s the first visible step in the larger transformation of the Riverfront revitalization and sets a quality standard for everything that will follow.” 

The Gateway Arch is the first part of the Market Street Landing Project, a community-driven effort to revitalize the riverfront. The next phase is the Inclusive Play Space, an accessible area where people of all abilities can gather, play, and connect. 

The project was made possible through collaboration among the Legacy Foundation, Riverfront Steering Committee, Genus Landscape Architects, artist Hilde DeBruyne and Christner Contracting.  Additional grants to the project were provided by the Ottumwa Area Arts Council and the Ottumwa RAGBRAI Committee. 

Photo Credit: RGS Photography