Return of fireworks to downtown Cedar Rapids threatened

City and Freedom Festival officials are working on solutions to problems that could keep the July Fourth fireworks celebration from returning to downtown.

Russ Oviatt, Freedom Festival marketing director, said the central stumbling block between the festival and the city is the cost the city wants to charge for providing police and fire services for the event. Also at issue is whether the land above the parking garage on May's Island is structurally sound.

Oviatt and City Manager Jim Prosser both said a Tuesday meeting between the parties was productive and negotiations were headed in the right direction.

“But it's always dangerous to count those chickens before they're hatched,” Oviatt said.

Prosser said last night that the festival may look to use some private security rather than Police Department off-duty officers to lower the cost of security.

Prosser said the city understands it is “an attraction” to have the fireworks back downtown, “and certainly it's not our intent to prevent that from happening.”

Oviatt noted that the city billed $1,300 for security in 2007, the last time the Freedom Festival held fireworks downtown. In 2008 and 2009, the event moved from the flood-hit downtown to Kirkwood Community College. The city's bill for security last summer leapt to about $19,000.

Oviatt said one city estimate put the cost to bring the event back downtown at about $30,000.

Oviatt said the festival has asked the city to look at “deployment schedules” of officers to see if there can be some savings there while the festival will put more energy into trying to raise money for the fireworks event.

Greg Eyerly, the city's flood recovery director, said there are also concerns about crowds gathering above the underground parking garage on May's Island that was damaged in the flood.

Eyerly said an initial assessment found the garage should be off-limits until more study can be done on its structural integrity. He said officials are still addressing what work, if any, needs to be done to guarantee the safety of anyone standing on the ground above it.

Eyerly said initial reports indicate the garage won't be fully repaired by the July Fourth deadline.

City staff has recommended against granting a permit for the event. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the issue March 3.

The Gazette Family of Companies, which owns The Gazette, KCRG-TV9 and GazetteOnline.com, is the presenting sponsor for the 2010 Freedom Festival, scheduled for June 13 through July 4.

Justin Foss of KCRG-TV9 contributed to this story.