Regardless of casino, city’s future is bright

Two months have passed since the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission made the decision to deny a casino license for the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino in downtown Cedar Rapids. As an investor in this project and a member of the governing board, I shared in the collective disappointment of our community when our application was rejected.

And while I remain disappointed and am actively working with other leaders of our group to explore additional options, it is time for all of us who care so deeply about the greater Cedar Rapids communities and our entire Linn County area to take a step back and put this episode in proper perspective.

Simply put, the economic future of the Cedar Rapids area is not now, and never has been, dependent on the development of a casino in downtown Cedar Rapids. Without question the proposed facility would have brought development and job benefits to our area, but our community is so much more than this project and we have the ability to grow this community through other means.

You need look no further than the launch of the new Iowa's Creative Corridor by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and their regional partners to promote our area's rich intellectual and artistic pursuits, coupled with an economic renaissance drawn from our investments in science, commerce, and industry. It is these pursuits that will provide the long-term pathway toward prosperity and on which we should focus our energy.

It is time to put aside the hard feelings, the anger, and the latent bitterness that seem to linger as a result of our failed casino pursuits and take stock in what we have here today and what we are building toward tomorrow.

In particular, I am puzzled at the misplaced anger that has been focused on Governor Branstad. Many have suggested the Governor should have actively lobbied the IRGC in support of our project and that its failure to approve the license is also his failure. I strongly disagree.

We have a process in Iowa and the Governor honored it. While our short term desires might have encouraged gubernatorial intervention on behalf of OUR project, what a terrible precedent that would have set as future candidates seeking office sought to curry favor and financial support in return for the promise to use such influence. Iowa would not be a bettor place for it.

Instead, I suggest the communities of Linn County and her leaders work more directly with Governor Branstad, Debi Durham, and his economic development team to land more private capital investment and job creation for our area.

Cedar Rapids is growing, prospering, and moving forward. We have faced big challenges. Despite it all we have always rallied, recovered, and looked for new paths toward renewal and prosperity.

No, we are not getting a casino now or in the near future, despite our best efforts. But like all the other setbacks this community has faced, we face it with optimism and confidence that we have better days ahead.

I want to be a part of those better days and will continue to invest my time and resources toward making the Cedar Rapids area all that it can be. Please join me in these pursuits and we can make a world of difference that will positively impact our lives now and for decades into the future.

' John Smith is board chairman of CRST International. Contact: 319-390-2706