Government Notes: Marion to host open house on Willowood park, proposed aquatic center

The city of Marion will host a community open house this week to educate residents about plans for the redevelopment of Willowood Park and relocation of the city’s aquatic center.

The event will take Thursday, March 20, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Marion Public Library Community Room. There, residents will receive updates on the planning process and be able to submit feedback.

The city currently is working with Waters Edge Aquatic Design to conduct the planning process for the redevelopment of Willowood Park — home to the existing Marion Pool — and solidify plans for a new proposed aquatic center between 31st and 34th streets south of Munier Road.

A preliminary site plan for the 24-acre parcel has been prepared and will be available for viewing at Thursday’s open house. Development of the center is contingent on the passage of a bond referendum on November’s ballot.

Current estimates for the cost to buy the land, build an aquatic center, and redevelop Willowood Park is $39 million.

Also Thursday, the city will launch an online survey to collect additional community input. That survey will be available through March 31.

Cedar Rapids schools names new principals at Taft, Washington

The Cedar Rapids Community School District recently announced two new principals at district schools.

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Theresa Hall has been selected as the next principal of Washington High School, effective July 1, 2025, pending board approval.

Hall will succeed Ian LeMaster, who announced earlier this year that he will be resigning July 30. She was chosen through a rigorous selection process by an interview committee of more than 40 stakeholders, including students, parents and teachers.

Hall has worked in multiple districts. She currently serves as a school leadership coach and district lead for Instructional Empowerment, where she focuses on teacher development, strategies to support struggling students, and credit recovery programs. Additionally, she has successfully launched a Freshman Academy designed to help ninth-grade students transition into high school and achieve academic success.

“I am truly honored to join the Washington High School community as the new principal,” Hall said. “I look forward to working alongside students, families, and staff to build on the school’s rich traditions while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every student can succeed. Together, we will ensure all students are prepared for a successful future.”

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Cedar Rapids schools also announced this month that Jessiah Gilchrist has been named the new principal of Taft Middle School, effective July 1, pending board approval.

Gilchrist will succeed Gary Hatfield, who is retiring at the end of this school year after 33 years of service to the district.

Currently serving as Taft’s assistant principal since 2020, Gilchrist has been an integral part of the school community for nearly 16 years, having started as a teacher at Taft in 2009.

The selection committee, which included Taft staff, parents, and district administrators, recognized Gilchrist’s firsthand knowledge and experience with the culture at Taft and his dedication to continuing that tradition while also focusing on increasing student achievement.

“Taft has held a long tradition of educational excellence among its teachers, support staff, families, and student body,” said Gilchrist. “I am deeply humbled and excited to have the opportunity to serve the Taft community in this new role and look forward to continuing the great work being done every day.”

Coe Road in Cedar Rapids changing to two-way traffic

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The City of Cedar Rapids will be converting Coe Road NE to two-way traffic this week.

The project, which is set for completion Monday and Tuesday, involves re-striping the road from A Avenue NE to Center Point Road NE, as well as the remainder of Center Point Road NE from E Avenue to F Avenue.

The work will coincide with Coe College's spring break week. City officials said this will minimize disruption to student traffic and ensure students are out of the lot being restriped that is adjacent to Coe Rd NE.

When finished, Center Point Road and Coe Rd NE will both become continuously two-way streets from A Avenue NE to the north. This conversion will increase connectivity and travel options by allowing traffic to use Coe Road NE and Center Point Road NE to travel north.

The conversion also will decrease the amount of traffic using A Avenue NE to access I-380 Northbound via Eighth Street NE. That route is currently nearing the capacity constraint. This will be extremely important when capacity is further restricted due to the upcoming project on Eighth Street NE.

The project also will add a northbound bike lane on the east side of Coe Road NE. This change will reduce the number of lane miles required to bike to the north side of Cedar Rapids and help to increase ridership.

Coralville Transit to detour during 5th street construction

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Beginning today, a portion of Fifth Street in Coralville, near ST Morrison Park, will be closed until late June to allow for work on Phase 3 of the city’s Fifth Street reconstruction project.

All bus routes will continue to operate throughout the construction, however Route 21 (Fifth Street), Route 24 (Night), and Route 25 (Saturday) will detour.

Additionally, stops 4311 and 4310 will be relocated to the corner of Seventh Street and 18th Avenue. While stop 4320, inbound to Iowa City, will be moved to the corner of Seventh and Fifth streets.

Iowa City Transit routes to cease during UI spring break

Two Iowa City bus routes will not run this week, due to spring break.

The 4-Downtown Shuttle and the 3-Eastside loop will temporarily pause operations beginning Monday due to the University of Iowa spring break. Regular service will resume Monday, March 24.

Hills plans special city council election

The Johnson County town of Hills will participate in a special election in May to fill a vacancy on the city council.

Guy Sommer resigned his position on the council with two years left on the term.

Interested candidates have until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 18 to file with the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. All candidacy petitions need at least 10 signatures and must be notarized.

The special election will be held Tuesday, May 13.

Think Iowa City community event grant applications now open

Think Iowa City, the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering grants of up to $5,000 for events in the Iowa City area that are “cultural, educational, literary, recreational, or artistic” in nature from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

The deadline to apply is April 1 at noon and winners will be announced in May. The application is available at thinkiowacity.com/about-us/community-grant- program/.

Last year’s grant recipients included:

Cedar Rapids residents invited to apply to serve on boards

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The City of Cedar Rapids is accepting applications from Cedar Rapids residents for current and upcoming vacancies on many city boards, commissions and advisory committees. These advisory groups work with the mayor, city council and city staff in guiding the future of the community.

Representation from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences is essential in building a community that serves and represents everyone’s needs, so the city is committed to ensuring boards, commissions and committees reflect an array of perspectives.

Learn how to apply by visiting the City’s website at CityofCR.com/Boards-Commissions. All applications are kept on file for one year.

Any person who anticipates needing modifications for any part of the process or has general questions can contact the City Clerk’s Office at (319) 286-5060 or by email at city-clerk@cedar-rapids.org. Applications are due by April 30.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Megan Woolard, Grace Nieland and Sara Konrad Baranowski contributed.