Reiman Gardens was denied its request for a $2.2 million grant from the state’s Vision Iowa program.

The money would have been used to help fund the expansion project currently under way at the gardens.

The grant Reiman Gardens applied for was one of a four-part, $21 million project called “Connect Iowa – The Ames Proposal.”

The other three portions of the proposal included the Hallet’s Quarry Nature Preserve, a Wellness/Aquatic Complex and a trail system connecting the three projects.

The Hallet’s Quarry portion of the proposal did receive a $1.5 million grant to aid the city of Ames in its purchase and transformation of the land north of the city into a regional park, said Dianna Dethmers Paca, Vision Iowa Board of directors vice-chairwoman.

“The majority of the Vision Iowa Board felt the Hallet’s Quarry part of the project was truly worthy and visionary,” Paca said.

“We felt that Iowa State has been blessed with other fund raising means to supply the last fund for the Reiman Gardens project.

“The gardens are going to continue no matter what and will continue to be beautiful,” she said.

The Reiman Gardens expansion is to include a butterfly flight house, a 5,000-square-foot glass conservatory, a 1,300-square-foot learning center/meeting room, a gift shop and a cafe, according to Vision Iowa’s Web site, www.visioniowa.org.

At a Dec. 10 debate about opening the ISU Foundation records, it was said that one of the reasons Vision Iowa turned down the Reiman Gardens funding was the Foundation’s secrecy in regard to its donor records.

“Had the Vision Iowa Board asked for any additional information, the Foundation was prepared to handle it in line with its standard policies,” said Tom Mitchell, ISU Foundation president.

“Vision Iowa turned down the Reiman Gardens request back in September, the reason given then was that funding was available from other resources – not that board members had an issue with the Foundation’s records,” he said.

Paca said the board felt Reiman Gardens had other ways of raising the money needed to fund the garden expansion.

“I’m really sorry this makes the Foundation look so ugly,” said Paca.

“Iowa State has been blessed with so many other options to receive the funding needed. We too are limited on money and in these tough times we must be very futuristic and grasp things that we think will make the biggest impact on Iowa.”