Corbett's 'big surprise?' Belting out a tune for Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Those expecting the trumpeted 'big surprise' at the end of Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett's final State of the City address would clarify his gubernatorial aspirations instead got a song and dance — literally.

Corbett delivered a soaring 45-minute speech Wednesday at the DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center recapping lessons learned in his two terms as Cedar Rapids mayor. Then came the surprise Corbett has been coyly hyping since declaring in December he would not seek a third term as mayor and acknowledging he is considering a run for Iowa governor.

'The only way I can think about any possible way I can say thank you is a musical tribute to you, to the people of Cedar Rapids,' Corbett said. 'That's the big surprise, but the bigger surprise is I am actually going to get behind the microphone and sing a song to you.'

Corbett belts out the blues brothers 'Sweet homes 'cedar rapids' for his 'big surprise' February 22, 2017

Corbett belts out the blues brothers 'Sweet homes 'cedar rapids' for his 'big surprise' pic.twitter.com/0DJBzYfNJE

— Brian Morelli (@bmorelli)

Local band Crankshaft joined the former Republican Speaker of the House and Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce president on stage for a rendition of 'Sweet Home Cedar Rapids,' a takeoff on the legendary blues tune 'Sweet Home Chicago.'

Corbett faced some backlash from those assuming his promise — which he said 'will be big' — was a tease for a political announcement.

'So ... Mayor Ron Corbett's 'big surprise' was not that he's running for governor, but that he wrote a Cedar Rapids tribute song,' Pat Rynard tweeted from the Twitter handle of Iowa Starting Line, a left leaning political blog.

Rynard came from Des Moines expecting one of the bigger names in the mix for the 2018 gubernatorial race to make a significant announcement about his political future. Corbett, if he runs, likely would face an uphill Republican primary battle against Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is in line to become Iowa governor pending the confirmation of Gov. Terry Branstad as the U.S. ambassador to China.

For his part, Corbett never confirmed what he meant by 'big surprise.'

While he stayed quiet on his own future Wednesday — Corbett afterward said only he planned to continue touring the state with his conservative Think Tank Engage Iowa and had no further timetable on a decision — he fanned speculation about the future of Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz, who Corbett helped recruit to Cedar Rapids from a similar role in West Des Moines.

'Jeff Pomeranz, we'll be ending our time here in about 10 more months — no longer be mayor-city manager ... but something tells me we are not done working together,' Corbett said from the stage.

Neither Corbett nor Pomeranz would elaborate on the comment.

That was just the end of his presentation. Corbett focused most of his time reflecting on four key lessons from his tenure.

The first lesson, Corbett said, is the importance of a city to-do list and getting things done.

He reflected on the downtown hotel built in 1978 under the watch of then Mayor Don Canney that lost its luster and changed ownership several times. Spurred by the 2008 flood, the city took over and renovated what is now the DoubleTree and added a new arena and convention center, which has drawn people to town and spurred additional growth in the downtown, he said.

He pointed to the creation of the NewBo City Market, Kingston Village and the McGrath Amphitheatre as other items the city has checked off the to-do list, but noted there is more to do, like restoring Cedar Lake and erecting the Sleeping Giant pedestrian bridge.

Particularly with abandoned or deteriorating buildings and properties, if not addressed, they become part of the defining landscape for locals and visitors.

'To sit by and do nothing is a just a front-row seat for watching decay and decline,' Corbett said.

Second, Corbett rekindled the 'open for business' mantra from when he ran for mayor. The government can't grow so large the bureaucratic process becomes cumbersome for those hoping to do business in town, he said.

For example, the city had passed a moratorium on development at Westdale Mall while he was first campaigning for mayor. The mall, which peaked in value at $29.7 million, was on a severe decline with vacancies and a value that plummeted to $4.5 million by 2007. The city found a private developer — Frew Development, which also restored the DoubleTree — to form a public-private partnership to revitalize Westdale.

Some $90 million in private investment and $11.7 million in public investment has fueled a turnaround of the mall, which remains under construction. When finished, the assessed value is promised to be $60 million.

Being open for business benefits the community, he said. A surge in new retail, such as at Westdale, has helped generate more sales tax than anticipated — $205 million projected over 10 years compared to $190 million — for the Paving for Progress street repair program, he said.

'People are the heart and soul of a community,' he said. 'Business is the lifeblood because businesses create jobs ... the business community is the economic engine of a community, and there's consequences when governments don't recognize the importance of the business community.'

Third, Corbett urged the community not to 'throw in the towel.'

Had Cedar Rapids given up, the Highway 100 extension would never have been built and flooded out residents would have gotten a lower federal reimbursement for their losses, he said. Likewise, the city shouldn't give up on federal aid for flood protection, he said.

'We have had many opportunities along the way to give up and to throw in the towel,' he said. 'Cedar Rapids is what it is today because we didn't give up.'

Finally, Corbett urged community pride: pride in what the city has to offer and what it can become rather than an attitude that undermines the community, such as the 'city of five smells' distortion of the city motto 'City of Five Seasons.'

The value of pride was evident when thousands of residents joined together to successfully fight back the second worst flood on record in September 2016, he said.

'It is important for us to portray ourselves in the best way possible, and we should be teeming with pride in our community,' he said.

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com