Quick survey about I.C. survey

Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey to help us better understand the public's response to the City of Iowa City's recent, no doubt well-intentioned, and, who knows, possibly even useful survey of residents' shopping habits and retail desires. Your responses will help us support Iowa City's efforts to improve the downtown experience.

1. How did you react when you learned that Iowa City had paid someone from a Virginia-based real estate company $15,000 to slap a 17-question survey on the Internet and tally the results?

a. I got online and started checking boxes. I'm not going to pass up a chance to bring a Wet Seal to my town!

b. I thunked my forehead on the table and said, “They're getting paid how much? Why didn't I listen when my mom told me to go into real estate?”

c. I don't have a computer, so I have no idea what you are talking about.

2. How many locally owned businesses (open now or having closed within the past 10 years) came to mind when you read the survey designer's list of 19 categories of specialty merchandise you'd like to see more of downtown?

a. 5-10

c. 10-15

d. 19

3. How many specific individuals from those businesses came to mind when you then thought: “Wow. That's a real slap in [insert name]'s face”?

a. 5-10

c. 10-15

d. 19

4. Would you rather have a “Bookstore - National,” as described in the survey, or a world-famous locally owned bookstore?

a. Give me those Prairie Lights!

b. Chain, please.

5. What were your thoughts in looking over Divaris' list of 26 chain retailers that you might want to see downtown?

a. Half of those stores already are in Coralville. These guys know how close that is, right?

b. If we get an Urban Outfitters, will they pay for the bouncers and velvet rope to keep the wannabes from flooding downtown and ruining it for the cool kids, or will that come out of the city's general fund?

c. What on earth does a store calling itself “Wet Seal” sell? Do people actually pay money for it?

6. What was your overall impression of the survey?

a. Really, Iowa City? I thought we knew each other better than that.

Comments: (319) 339-3154;

jennifer.hemmingsen@sourcemedia.net