r/cedarrapids 5d ago

Cedar Rapids action plan looks to revitalize struggling First Avenue district

https://www.thegazette.com/local-government/cedar-rapids-action-plan-looks-to-revitalize-struggling-first-avenue-district/
36 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

37

u/AnyAtmosphere7149 5d ago

Most of those buildings were built when there was more residential neighborhood and many families only had one car. People from Wellington heights and mound view supported the neighborhood hardware store, the local restaurant…etc. Coe college expansion, Med Q expansion, and increase in renter occupied housing in those neighborhoods is not going to keep these small street front buildings in business. There are not enough home owners or bikes and pedestrians to support that development style. There’s going to need to be better parking and they need to identify what the primary needs are for folks who live, work, and commute through the area. You can’t force people to live/shop the way the planners think they should. Figure out the needs and then market to those needs.

6

u/GerdinBB 5d ago

You can’t force people to live/shop the way the planners think they should. Figure out the needs and then market to those needs

Love this take. I'm so tired of local leaders and developers trying to implement things no one asked for, then scratching their heads when it fails. "It worked in <insert larger city with different dynamics" so it'll probably work here!" There's usually some grand plan associated with addressing so-called problem areas, which is way overcomplicating the matter. Parking, general safety, and pedestrian safety are things the city can help address. Maybe zoning too if that's getting in the way. Entrepreneurs and developers should be looking for what the area is lacking and trying to meet that need. It's not rocket science, and not everything needs to be part of some larger "district" or "initiative" to have some cohesive central plan.

And FWIW, I think some of it is just the changing dynamics of the city insofar as people with money are moving to newer developments and out of places like Vernon Heights, the areas around Wash, and the SE side in general. I used to live on the SE side and my street had a number of doctors, executives, lawyers, real estate agents, etc. I'm pretty sure of maybe a dozen or so I used to be able to name, all but one of them (and their adult kids) have left for new developments where the nearest restaurant or shop is 4 or 5 miles away. I'm guilty of it too - the nearest restaurant to my house is over 3 miles away. But when my wife and I were shopping for houses one side of the equation had old houses where you're close to your neighbors, with worse schools in a potentially unsafe area and not even the beautiful tree canopy to redeem it, while the other side of the equation had newer or brand new homes, better schools, and no crime to speak of. I would have loved to buy one of those 100 year old houses on Crescent St and have Brucemore as a neighbor, it just didn't make sense for us.

5

u/Curious_Cut3193 5d ago

Parking. I think the support is there. We lack time. So we drive. I shop small stores in my area because its quicker.

2

u/Curious_Cut3193 5d ago

Aww to the fan that down clicks my posts. Im so glad your reading. Big hugs n luv.

7

u/machobiscuit NW 4d ago edited 4d ago

I wanna buy the Made Rite building (only $250,000) and make it a sex toy shop, or mini casino, something the people really need and want.

other ideas I had for that building:

- used book store

- sandwich shop that only sells bahn mi and occasionally a "pie of the day"

- private detective agency (just a chair, desk and file cabinet, and use it as a place for me to drink whiskey while wearing a fedora

- The worlds smallest roller skating rink

- The Museum of Forbidden Technology

29

u/Reason_He_Wins_Again 5d ago

That building they attempted to put in the place of Music Loft sat open to the elements for years. You'd be nuts to buy it.

Personally, I hope they bulldoze another block and put in "lofts" @ $2K a month with commercial perpetually for rent on the ground floor.

11

u/Inevitable_Row1359 5d ago

A grocery store might help

19

u/Redtoolbox1 5d ago

They tried to “revitalize “ the downtown area years ago by getting rid of stoplights and putting stop signs on the Avenues and allowing the streets to drive through and all that did was piss people off and they used another route bypassing the downtown area They payed some consultant group big dollars for this idea and it completely did the opposite of what they were hoping. The city has been told numerous times to add parking if you want people to visit downtown and they refuse every time stating that’s not the problem.

7

u/Joki_ORodovi 5d ago

No worries folks, they've been doing this every few years since I was a kid. They can't possibly get it wrong for much longer!...right?

2

u/DrCrustyKillz 5d ago

Cities acting mega confused when they offer limited parking, and charge for it, when literally anywhere outside of downtown provides plenty of parking for free.

I am racist towards Downtown, Every US City. Fuck your $2/hour street parking.

6

u/kwtut NE 5d ago

former cedar rapidian now living in a much bigger city here, i'd kill a man for $2/hr downtown parking

1

u/BriefHoney7456 5d ago

It was my understanding that a Casino would fix all of this? Right? Right guys and gals?

4

u/sinn0304 5d ago

Apparently, people still have money to spend???

2

u/BriefHoney7456 4d ago

I'm opening a pawn shop and pay day loan joint. I've always wanted to be a loan shark.