Rec center decision made with little thought

Months and months and months to figure out where a recreation center (to replace the flood-damaged Time Check Recreation Center) should be, and our City Council's task force comes up with a site 15 days before the deadline.

It seems that this decision was made with little thought or foresight.

The decision apparently was made because of the impending deadline, and the thought of losing $3 million (in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding) was intolerable.

Now, let's get our money and tear down a perfectly good building. The site committee said we would have to tear them down in some years anyway. With this site (east edge of Ellis Park), it will cost at least $1.3 million to tear down and relocate (and rebuild) the maintenance buildings. Does that then leave one half of the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build a rec center?

I'm sure we'll have to add more taxpayers' money to finish it.

One thing about Cedar Rapids, if city leaders are spending money, there is very little common sense in the process.

Tom Buresh

Cedar Rapids