Hiawatha leaders excited about efforts to create town center GAGE MISKIMEN, The Gazette FacebookTwitterEmail HIAWATHA, Iowa (AP) — A yearslong quest to create a town center in Hiawatha is picking up steam. Between a library expansion, a new plaza under construction in front of City Hall and a couple of large, mixed-use developments in the works, the city of 7,300 is preparing for future growth, City Manager Kim Downs said. “We’ve been the community that used to be just driven through,” Downs said. “We are not the same community. We don’t look like the same community.” The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports the new projects are the latest plans in establishing a downtown area in Hiawatha after a big setback.