We have the resources to re-imagine our parks

We called our city the City of Five Seasons, with the fifth season providing the time to enjoy our quality of life. Our city and county parks have been devastated, as we rebuild our parks, keep this in mind.

More than 40 years ago our parks director, Elmer Delaney, helped the Cedar Rapids rugby club find a home at what today is known as Cheyenne Park along Old River Road, a BMX bike track and a dog run have since been added to the park.

In our tenure the field has flooded three times, and in 2020, the derecho devastated other parks in Linn County.

Our city is booming economically now, new highway infrastructure is being built and the explosion in the development of commercial property has greatly expanded our tax base. As we redevelop our parks, let’s think world class, like our city, a world class city for agricultural milling and aviation components.

Arguing that we can’t afford to do this is no longer valid, and our future depends on it If we want to attract people and families to Cedar Rapids to live and work. Make Cedar Rapids the best place in Iowa to play. Make our parks inclusive and celebrate the diversity of people and sports that are played in our community, while embracing the opportunity that was given to us through disaster.

Invite local schools, colleges, clubs and citizens to participate in the development process.

Public parks were never meant to make money, they are built to improve the quality of life for the families and people who live, work and pay taxes in the city, county and state.

Sure, this must be accomplished within a publicly outlined budget. But make it bold. Our tax base has the fuel to fire it and our future will be brighter if we do this right.

We have an incredible opportunity to do something that will invigorate the quality of life for our community in years to come.

Our parks have been stressed. We have never been in as good a position to invest in them.

Jones and Ellis Park are two of our city’s jewels. Sustain the beauty of our park setting and develop the parks so people will want to play, recreate, picnic and celebrate in them.

Bring half the of the soccer capacity from Tuma to the south side. Include rugby, cricket and other club sports and activities like archery, cross-country skiing and pickle ball. Invite RAGBRAI to overnight close to downtown and bring games closer to our city center, where the hotels, restaurants and gas stations are located.

We can do this.

Ian Cullis of Swisher is commodore of Cedar Rapids Old Boys Rugby.