Government Notes: Traffic control, road reconstruction to complement CR casino development

The city of Cedar Rapids has released new details on its plans for flood and traffic control projects adjacent to the Cedar Crossing Casino site.

Construction is now underway on the $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center, which is expected to open in late 2026 in northwest Cedar Rapids near F Avenue and Third Street.

While the casino is privately financed, project leaders have coordinated closely with the city to address infrastructure improvements needed to best support the development and the surrounding neighborhood.

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As part of those efforts, the city intends to integrate a flood-control levee into the casino site plan. The levee will extend from F Avenue NW to near I Avenue NW, thus expanding flood protection into the northwest neighborhood.

To support that work, F Avenue will be reconstructed to rise over the levee and be converted to two-way traffic in hopes of creating a smoother connection with First Street NW.

Further, a new roundabout will be situated at the intersection of F Avenue NW and Third Street, at the casino entrance, to provide a safer access point to the gaming facility.

During construction, E Avenue NW will temporarily carry two-way traffic east of Third Street to maintain traffic flow and meet project needs.

Once complete, E Avenue will be removed east of Third Street to accommodate the new levee, and traffic from Interstate 380 will instead be able to make left turns onto First Street NW.

Two CR schools rezoning requests move forward, one delayed

The Cedar Rapids City Council green-lit rezoning requests for two Cedar Rapids Community School District projects while a third was continued to the next meeting.

The council last week offered preliminary approval for the rezoning requests for land adjacent to Harrison and Van Buren elementary schools.

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The school district intends to renovate the existing Harrison building and construct a sizable addition, while Van Buren is scheduled to be replaced with a new structure just south of the current building.

Both projects will take place on land that is already owned by the district, although that land must be rezoned before the projects can move forward.

Subsequent council approval at the ordinances’ second and third readings will be required before the rezoning can officially occur.

The public hearing for land near Hoover Elementary School was continued until the council’s July 8 meeting to allow more time for conversations between the district and area residents, as well as to correct a public posting error.

A notice announcing the public hearing erroneously listed the public hearing as taking place “Thursday, June 24” despite the meeting being on Tuesday, June 24.

By continuing the public hearing, the council will be able to include the hearing in its July 8 agenda to the benefit of any interested party who might have been confused by the erroneous posting.

That meeting will take place at noon at City Hall and will be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page.

The district is seeking to rezone land directly south of Hoover Elementary for the construction of a new school building to replace the current structure.

Marion Airport runway sale finalized

The Marion Airport runway is now under private ownership in a move that clears the way for continued aviation operations at the airport.

The sale was finalized last week to 530 Investments LLC, which paid $500,000 to purchase the previously city-owned runway. The remainder of the airport remains under the ownership of LuxAir, a private company formed in 2015.

Per the terms of the sale, 530 Investments will maintain the land as a runway for at least 10 years in return for a rebate on a portion of its city property taxes up to a maximum of $50,000.

The city also will cooperate with any plans for the buyer to extend the runway up to 4,000 feet, although it will not be expected to cover any expenses related to that expansion. The runway currently spans 3,775 feet.

Council members directed staff to prepare the purchase agreement at a May 8 meeting where 530 Investments was identified as the only potential buyer to put in an offer for the runway.

The city first put out a request for proposals in February. No bids were received by the initial deadline, so council members voted to close the runway by June 30 in a move that would have effectively halted all flights to and from the airport.

The council reversed course shortly thereafter, however, and voted March 20 to reissue the request for proposals at a lower asking price. 530 Investments LLC was the only bidder to respond to the second request.

Southbound I-380 off ramp at Penn Street to close Tuesday

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The southbound off ramp from Interstate 380 at Penn Street in North Liberty is expected to close Tuesday as the reconstruction of the interchange continues.

The southbound exit ramp, at milepost 4, will be closed for about three months as part of the reconstruction, the Iowa DOT said in a news release.

Motorists wanting to exit the Interstate should do so at milepost 2, the Forevergreen Road interchange, the DOT suggests. Motorists can then return northbound lanes to Penn Street, or use Forevergreen Road.

The northbound entrance ramp was closed earlier this month, with that closure expected to run through August.

The entire project, which is also widening Interstate 380 to three lanes in both directions in the area, is expected to be completed in 2027.

Coralville, North Liberty, Johnson County to share mental health liaison

The cities of Coralville and North Liberty are working with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office to split the cost of having a mental health liaison available to respond to mental health crisis support and follow-up.

While the departments have had a liaison since 2022, the state dollars that had helped cover the cost are running out, and the departments have found significant value in the role and will now fund it themselves.

Under the cost-sharing agreement, each of the three bodies will pay $3,722.63 per month for fiscal year 2026, which starts Tuesday.

Several other Iowa departments — including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Marion — all have mental health liaisons helping respond to emergency calls and provide follow-up services.

Linn County Emergency Management debuts mobile resiliency units

Linn County Emergency Management now has a new tool to help support mobile disaster response.

The agency recently debuted its two new mobile resilience trailers, also called RAPID units — short for Recover, Assist, Prepare, Inform and Distribute. The multipurpose units will be used for rapid disaster response, as well as for educational purposes at community events.

The RAPID units “will bring crucial services directly to neighborhoods,” thus improving the communities’ ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, according to a news release.

Each unit is equipped to provide public access to first-aid supplies for minor injuries, rest areas with misting fans and/or portable heaters, charging ports for electronics and handouts on disaster recovery resources.

The two units are “a crucial step in strengthening our public's resilience and improving our emergency response infrastructure,” Linn County Board of Supervisors Chair Brandy Z. Meisheid said in the release. “The trailers are designed to serve all of Linn County, including rural communities that may be harder to reach during emergencies.”

They were funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated to Linn County Emergency Management from the Board of Supervisors.

Area residents can see the trailer for themselves on Thursday at Marion’s Fireworks and Fireflies event taking place 6-10:15 p.m. at Lowe Park.

Cedar Rapids PD receives K-9 armor donation

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The Cedar Rapids Police Department has received a protective vest for one of its canine officers thanks to a charitable donation from a nationwide nonprofit.

The department recently received the bullet- and stab-protective vest from Vested Interest in K9s, a charitable organization whose mission is to bolster K-9 safety through donations to police departments nationwide.

The vest will be worn by Cedar Rapids Police Department K-9 Ranger, the department’s specially trained bloodhound who works alongside Sgt. Nate Trimble.

Per a department posting, the vest will help protect Ranger during searches for potentially violent suspects. It’s valued at roughly $1,800 and is embroidered with the phrase “Born to Love — Trained to Serve — Loyal Always.”

Linn County launches ‘veteran of the month’ program

Linn County Veteran Services has launched a new “Veteran of the Month” award program to recognize the contributions of local veterans.

Per a county posting, the program is meant to spotlight veterans who continue to sow a strong commitment to their communities after their military career ends.

“Veterans often continue to serve their communities after their military careers end,” said Linn County Veteran Services Director Dustin Peterson. “This award helps recognize and honor those ongoing contributions and supports our mission to serve each veteran and remember their service.”

Nomination forms are available on the Linn County website for the public to access, and applications are due by the first day of each month.

Linn County residents with backgrounds from any of the U.S. armed forces branch are eligible for recognition, and recipients will be selected by a committee of area veterans.

Selected veterans will be recognized with a Card My Yard display for one weekend during their recognition month and will be featured on the county’s social media pages. For more information, visit bit.ly/LinnCoVets.

Government Notes is published Mondays and contains updates from area governmental bodies. The Gazette’s Grace Nieland and Zack Kucharski contributed.