Marissa Payne

Dwight Hughes Jr. dreamed of a city park where Hughes Nursery originally stood for all Cedar Rapids to enjoy. Now, the new park will serve as a conservation area that honors Hughes family history.

The downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library will reopen Thursday after most cleaning has wrapped up following a fire that broke out last month.

The city of Cedar Rapids has launched a survey to find homeowners still making derecho-related repairs. Responses will help local officials use $2.5 million being awarded to Linn County specifically for derecho repairs.

A buyer has stepped forward to redevelop the 51-acre Transamerica property off Edgewood Road and 42nd Street NE, but specific plans for the site remain to be seen.

The city council allocated the funds toward 20 affordable housing and social service projects jointly with Linn County to maximize the dollars distributed through the Democrat-backed American Rescue Plan.

A $25,000 grant from CN Railway and America in Bloom will support the city’s “ambitious” partnership with Trees Forever to replant trees downed in the 2020 derecho.

The City Council has extended the Cedar Rapids Charter Review Commission members’ terms through September. A presentation was initially anticipated to take place Tuesday but is now planned for a council meeting next month.

With the school year already underway, the council’s vote ends a monthslong debate between city and school district officials over the presence of school resource officers mainly in middle schools.

The group building a case for better elections in Iowa is expanding outreach to pave the way for lawmakers to authorize ranked choice voting. Here’s what Better Ballot Iowa’s director had to say about next steps.

The fate of a site that could present an opportunity to attract people downtown and shape the face of the urban core remains in limbo until a buyer steps forward. The prime piece of vacant land in the heart of Cedar Rapids is listed for sale for $2.5 million.

In a walking tour of Cedar Rapids flood infrastructure with Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, city officials said they plan to seek $50 million through the DOT’s Bridge Investment Program to fund the reconstruction of the Eighth Avenue bridge.

The historic Guaranty Bank building and Old World Theater property is listed for sale as efforts to pursue a $50 million transformation of the site into two hotels and restaurants in downtown Cedar Rapids have faltered, the potential developer said.

The city of Cedar Rapids late Thursday night dropped the requirement that staff and visitors wear masks inside city buildings and vehicles to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Cedar Rapids Charter Review Commission voted Thursday to recommend changes that would broaden ethics language for the city’s top officials and also keep the door open for ranked choice voting in the future.

After the iconic Cedar Rapids arts organization lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file three years of tax returns, the IRS’ decision to reinstate its status opens access to more funding as the group grapples with its long-term sustainability.