Council made right decision on library

Congratulations to Mayor Ron Corbett and the entire Cedar Rapids City Council for their courageous decision on the new library site. They were faced with three good options, and a recommendation from the library board that they ultimately turned down.

I believe the council made the right decision. Placing what should become a landmark building on Greene Square Park opposite the former Carnegie Library will anchor this historic park once again. The old Washington High School and Union Train Depot once served that purpose.

Now, future development hopefully will be attracted to the immediate area, making Greene Square the jewel it once used to be. Locating the library kitty-corner at the Gazette Communications property just would not have had the same visual or historic impact.

Any anxiety about possible flooding can be easily mitigated by raising the building a few feet off street level without a basement. Just look at what they are doing with the new federal courthouse building that is located near the river's banks. In addition, the Emerald Knights block is still open for either a new Central Fire Station or other commercial use.

This was truly one of those “once in a hundred years” decisions - and the council got it right.

Jeffrey R. King

Cedar Rapids