Ward 3: Cody Crawford

I do support the Central Corridor Project as it stands. At this scale, there is no perfect plan, but this plan addresses concerns with the Corridor with as little disruption as possible.

At its heart, the project is a move to improve Marion's infrastructure - namely the streets and utilities running through the heart of Marion. By improving the Uptown and Seventh Avenue, we are not only addressing a major concern, but also allowing for new economic development opportunities on both Sixth and Seventh avenues.

The Central Corridor is currently underutilized and we need to take advantage of this opportunity. A number of great businesses have done very well along this stretch and we need to continue to support them and allow others to grow in this area as well. There are also a number of businesses that may be better suited to another area of town, businesses which may need to expand but have no space.

We need to continue to work with the businesses and residents of Marion to make this project a success and one that everyone can rally behind. The vast majority of Marion citizens do approve of the plan. We love the businesses we have and wish to keep them in Marion, but also know that we can have more.

With all the positive momentum our city has seen in recent years, we can draw wonderful new investment. But there has to be a place to invest, and our new Central Corridor will be that place.

Another issue facing Marion is continuing to improve our infrastructure. We have addressed some major street and transportation issues with the Central Corridor Plan and the Tower Terrace Road project. These greatly enhance one east-west corridor and add another on the north side of town.

Along with these projects, we need to continue repairing and enhancing other major and minor roads throughout town. We need to make sure our water and sewage systems are up-to-date and working at the highest efficiency possible.

Marion also needs to be aggressive with economic development. The addition of Tower Terrace Road, along with the Marion Enterprise Center, sets us up as a very attractive place for businesses to locate. We need to stress these assets when talking to prospective businesses, as well as when working with current Marion businesses that are looking for new opportunity.

A new police station, fire station and expanded library are also needs that must be addressed. The police station has been outgrown and does not function the way it should, residential growth to the north is making a third fire station necessary, and our library is busting at the seams with all the use.

These are not cheap projects, but they are necessary. We must find the proper funding to make these things happen.

Cody Crawford, a bank officer, grew up in Moville and moved to Marion seven years ago after graduating from the University of Iowa. He and his wife have three children. Comments; Cody_Crawford@hillsbank.com