Swore all-crucial for new library site and Warner, Johnson streets; his name is also on a commemorative plaque from 31 years ago

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids City Council member Chuck Swore is now largely responsible for three pieces of recent Cedar Rapids history.

There is no ifs, ands or buts about it: Swore's change of vote last week was the crucial, deciding factor in the City Council's decision to build the city's new $45-million public library across Fourth Avenue SE from Greene Square Park. The site is now occupied by TrueNorth, an insurance and financial services firm.

The initial council vote was 4-4-1 for three proposed sites, with Swore being the odd man out. After some discussion among council members about second-choice sites, Mayor Ron Corbett turned to Swore and asked him to make a motion for a particular site. Swore moved to put the library on the TrueNorth site, and the four advocates for the site quickly backed him.

However, Swore as easily could have picked the Emerald Knights block, and that's where the library would have been built. He might have even managed to get it built on the Gazette Communications block, his first choice, because some council members had reluctantly said the Gazette Communications block was their second choice.

But Swore picked the TrueNorth site. The final vote of 7-2 included votes by Corbett and council member Kris Gulick, both who wanted the Emerald Knights site, as ‘votes of unity,” the mayor said.

Because of Swore, too, the city now has what had been a driveway of sorts next to Kingston Stadium named native-son and NFL star Kurt Warner. It's called Kurt Warner Way SW.

Swore also was responsible three years ago for the city naming Zach Johnson Drive NE after native-son and Masters Golf Tournament champion Zach Johnson.

Once the new library is up, Swore surely will have his name on the commemorative plaque as a member of the City Council when the library was built. The plaque, though, isn't like to note what singular role he played in it all.

If you want to see what the 67-year-old Swore's name might look like on a plaque, just stop over at the lobby of the U.S. Cellular Center. The commemorative plaque there, put in place in 1979, has Swore's name front and center for his role as chairman at the time of the city's Facilities Commission.