ANKENY, Iowa – The American Legion in Ankeny was established more than 100 years ago. It has been housed in the same Uptown building for decades, but now members are working on something new to make it stand out.

Plans are in the works for a patriotic mural along the exterior wall on Southwest Cherry Street. Committee members said they have been working on the idea since last Fall. It will pay homage to their comrades in arms with the silhouette of a kneeling soldier, the American and Iowa flags, and the flags of other groups associated with the Legion.

However, the mural will also help the building stand out.

“I think it’s going to offer a. ‘Wow,’ factor,” Dan Meyer told WHO 13’s Katie Kaplan. “We’ve had people come down the street. We’ve had people call us and they didn’t know this was the Legion. They didn’t know where the Legion was. We’re about to change that.”

Meyer is a committee member with the American Legion Albaugh-McGovern Post #42. The post was established in 1919 after World War I and named in honor of the first two Ankeny soldiers to die in the war.

The plans for the mural have all been approved in writing, said Meyer. Notable muralist Ben Schuh, whose work can be seen in cities across the metro, has agreed to take on the job. However, the building needs some repair work. The Legion is currently getting bids on the repairs that are coming in at more than $3,000. The total project is estimated to cost roughly $12,000.

“It’s going to be kind of neat. We’re going to change the looks of this intersection,” said Meyer.

The Legion committee has several ideas for how to raise the money and expects to launch the fundraisers in the coming months. They hope the Project will be complete by the annual SummerFest.

“We’re hoping to receive some donations that will cover those costs,” said another Legion committee member, Jim Off.

Off said the Legion had also applied for grants to help fund the project.

Anyone interested in donating to help the project become a reality can email American Legion Albaugh-McGovern Post #42 at AnkenyLegionPost42@gmail.com.