Downtown manager idea comes up in Iowa City

City officials Monday night spoke favorably of downtown Iowa City getting a manager to help market the area.

The issue came up briefly as the City Council was getting an update on economic development projects. Any future talks will probably wait until new City Manager Tom Markus starts next month, however.

The idea is not new to Iowa City. A 2007 study recommended downtown Iowa City get professional management to help with development and marketing.

Jeff Davidson, Iowa City's planning and community development director, said many of the ideas in the study would require the help of a downtown manager.

Council member Regenia Bailey agreed. “That downtown study did have a lot of good ideas, and it's unfortunate that we're not taking up some of them,” she said.

As The Gazette reported last month, Markus' current home of Birmingham, Mich., has an active downtown that includes an organization that oversees downtown activities and marketing.

Davidson said the city would tap Markus' expertise on the subject and suggested a similar model, likely funded by the public and private sectors, could be implemented here.

The 2007 study recommended forming a special tax district to fund the effort. In 2004, a proposal for a tax district was narrowly rejected by downtown land owners.

Downtown Cedar Rapids has a special tax district and professional management.