Storm Lake Hometown Pride is inviting the community to celebrate a new addition to the downtown district next week: the installation of eight new benches along Lake Avenue.
The organization will host a Downtown Bench Tour and Dedication event at 10 a.m. next Thursday, May 21, beginning at VeSo Coffee and held in conjunction with Storm Lake United’s Chamber Coffee.
Hometown Pride Co‑Chair and former Storm Lake Mayor Mike Porsch says the benches are part of the city’s long‑term downtown improvement plan — a plan he says needed outside support to move forward.
Each bench was sponsored by a local business or family, including Tequila La Juanita, Central Bank, Dr. Sabrina Martinez, the Spooner and Knoffloch families, Mike and Lori Porsch, Storm Lake Bakery and ISG Engineering. Porsch says the response from the community was immediate.
The benches are placed throughout the downtown area — at least one on each block — with several located near sponsoring businesses. Porsch says the goal is to make downtown more welcoming and more comfortable for residents and visitors.
The City of Storm Lake partnered on the project by picking up the benches from the manufacturer in Cherokee and assisting with assembly and installation. Porsch says that support made a major difference.
Next week’s dedication will begin at VeSo Coffee, where one of the benches — sponsored by Mike and Lori Porsch — will be installed. After refreshments, attendees will take a guided walk through downtown to see each bench and the businesses around them.
Porsch says the bench project is just the beginning. Hometown Pride is exploring future improvements, including public art, planters, bike racks and enhancements to the new Storm Lake Nature Area, which will be located east of the Sunrise Pointe Golf Course and Sunrise Park Campgrounds, near the former dredge spoil site.
Storm Lake Hometown Pride meets at 5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month at VeSo Coffee. Community members interested in joining the board can contact Porsch at mdporsch@gmail.com, or reach out to board members Laura Hanks at 732-3780 or Dana Larsen at 732-8000.
