Medical mall would be worth the inconveniences

By Lee Clancey

It has been said that Iowans love the idea of progress, but are not crazy about change. That could be said of the current public discourse regarding the Medical Mall project proposed by the Physicians' Clinic of Iowa (PCI).

The city of Cedar Rapids Neighborhood Planning Process and Vision Cedar Rapids plans have both produced a design for reinvestment and revitalization of downtown Cedar Rapids. The plans have each identified unique districts that need dramatic improvements, one of which is a medical district.

While few are opposed to the idea of a medical district, there are those who oppose the development of PCI's medical mall, a project that would constitute the most significant locally funded economic development project downtown in years. It also would provide momentum for the entire medical district.

Why are people in opposition? Mainly because it means there will be a change, particularly a change in driving habits with the accompanying closure of part of Second Avenue despite the results of a recent traffic study showing traffic on that street has decreased 46 percent since 1978.

I believe citizens of Cedar Rapids should support this economic development project despite the inconvenience it may cause. Why? Because the project will step us light years ahead of where we are today in the provision of medical services and will establish the concept of clinical integration in this area.

It will add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the community's benefit both in construction and annual revenues. And it is also hoped that it will become a medical destination for folks from out of the area, and if so, will attract people for the services that they desire and add to the number of annual visitors to our area.

Consider this: According to Dave Swenson, economics researcher at Iowa State University, the new medical mall will provide the local area (city of Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Community School District and Linn County) with $2,905,063 in additional taxes and charges every year, and that does not include construction activity.

The construction impact alone will consist of $44 million in building costs and $64 million in regional impact with construction costs and materials from local suppliers, not to mention the 456 associated construction jobs.

Annually, the medical mall will have an operational impact of $65.5 million in direct impact and $99.4 million of regional impact, plus it will retain and create a total of 657 jobs in Cedar Rapids. This includes the addition of 50 new positions with an additional regional impact of $14.2 million.

Most communities would fall all over themselves to see this kind of economic development project in their downtown just for the economic impact alone, much less one that jump-starts a big part of a community vision and attracts people to our community.

The medical mall is economic development on steroids. Will it mean we experience some changes in our habits? Yes ... but consider the valuable benefits our community gets in return. In this instance, the changes in habit we may experience will be worth the progress we make.

Lee Clancey served as mayor of Cedar Rapids for six years and also is a former president/CEO of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. She is working as an independent business consultant and community volunteer. Comments: leeclancey@gmail.com