Bondurant may still be a couple thousand people shy of seeing any major commercial development, but city leaders are setting the stage for that growth now.

In July, the city will close on two properties on the southwest corner of Main and First streets worth $173,000. It will remove the three buildings on those properties to make way for street improvements and landscaping, with features such as decorative street lamps, benches and planters. The only decision left to be made is whether to sell the lots to a developer and create angle parking along the street, or use the land for a parking lot.

This is just one of several projects the city is undertaking over the next few years as funds become available. A new library and fire station are under construction, and the city hopes to have enough money to complete construction of a nearly two-mile bike path from Lake Petoka to the western edge of town.

The city also is working on two projects to improve its sanitary sewer system, especially to reduce the amount of clean water that gets into the system. The city engineer is evaluating the condition of each manhole and will give a report by the end of the month on other work that needs to be done. By the end of this year, Bondurant also hopes to complete sewer and waterline extensions to the site of the planned high school north of town.

Adams Properties also is removing two buildings on the southwest corner of Second and Main streets to make way for future development.

“To have the type of commercial activity that people would like to see here, I think the town needs to get up to 5,000 to 6,000 people, and it’s probably in the 3,200 to 3,300 range now,” said City Administrator Mark Arentsen. “I think once another 2,000 to 3,000 people locate here, which is going to happen, I think then you’ll see the commercial activity start to take off.”