Medical group's plan doesn't benefit citizens much

Appearances can be deceiving but so can stated intentions. The medical community suggests that it is in the city's best interest to abandon the right of way of Second Avenue to allow a new $44 million medical center to be built on top of our street. I see little advantage to the average citizen.

It is well known that multiple outlets for expensive medical procedures often cause prices to rise. It should also be noted that going from 19th Street to 13th Street SW or back via Second or Third avenues is much quicker than First Avenue due to the coordination of traffic lights and, of course, lighter traffic. If the average driver using Second or Third avenue saves five minutes a trip and makes a round trip every day, five days a week, he would lose more than 43 hours a year. At $25 an hour, that equals $1,083. Over the life of the medical center, the cost to our citizens will be huge.

The original plan, as I understand it, was to purchase the church and the Firestone building. Apparently the cost exceeded the budget.

A physician friend of mine suggested that they will only build it where they are planning it. The specialists need to be close to the hospitals. Lost time for highly paid professionals traveling several miles to the hospitals would be costly to them. Let the Rapidians take the loss.

Tom Robbins

Cedar Rapids