Local Government

A committee of three Linn County elected officials decided Friday it will pursue an appointment to fill the seat that will be vacated by Supervisor Ben Rogers’ resignation.

Republican lawmakers in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature on Wednesday introduced legislation that would prohibit a city’s urban renewal plan from including gaming projects that were awarded a state license this year. Cedar Rapids officials said the casino project is in an urban renewal area, and that they are working to understand the new legislative proposal.

The city of Marion needs a fifth hotel, according to market study results presented to the city council this week. The study recommends an 80- to 90-room hotel in Uptown Marion that caters to people who need to stay during the week and longer than a day or two.

Two developers will work with the city of Marion to refine and construct a project on the site of the former public library, which was demolished in 2023.

Ben Rogers, the Linn County supervisor for District 2, announced Monday that he will resign his seat, effective April 1. He has served on the board for 16 years.

Also, tickets available for Marion’s State of the City address next month

Over 77 percent of voters in the county approved the measure, which needed 60 percent approval to pass. This was the second time that Johnson County voters approved a conservation bond — in 2008, voters approved a $20 million bond. The bonds are paid off through property taxes.

The repairs, which consultants estimate could be done within the year, do not address any of the space needs of the jail and sheriff’s office. County officials have said for years that the facility is crowded and unsafe for both inmates and staff.

Iowa Supreme Court rules for openness in 2022 board appointment

The Cedar Rapids City Council approved an agreement this week that will provide incentives for the redevelopment of the former downtown Wells Fargo building.

Thirty acres of the former Transamerica site at Edgewood Road and 42nd Street in northeast Cedar Rapids would be used for commercial development, while 19 acres would become home to Cedar Rapids Prep, a new charter school set to open this year.

Also, Iowa City and Johnson County formalize their joint law enforcement facility exploration