Cedar Rapids MedQuarter open house focuses on stakeholder feedback

An open house designed for community members interested in the development of the Cedar Rapids MedQuarter medical district was held Thursday night at Physicians' Clinic of Iowa Medical Pavilion.

The event featured a series of stations where attendees could talk about the medical district in the 55-square block district, which runs from Fifth and Sixth Streets SE to 12th and 13th Streets SE in Cedar Rapids

One station asked participants to complete a visual preference survey in a variety of categories relating to transportation, buildings, branding and urban design. In another, participants placed dots on areas they thought might be contentious.

"It's meant to be a process by listening to the constituents, stakeholders, business property owners, institutions - all the folks that make up this district that are part of the (Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District) SSMID and those outside the SSMID that are coming and using these facilities," said Scott Freres, president of the Lakota Group, a Chicago-based land-use and urban planning consultancy that is helping with development of the master plan.

One attendee, Vaclav Hasek,  a volunteer with Save CR Heritage, said he is concerned about the future of historic buildings in the district.

"I would just like to reiterate that this is a wonderful part of the city and that I am for economic development, but I am also for appreciating and rejoicing in our history as a community and I think it would be a grave mistake for the medical district to bulldoze our historical structures," he said.

John Albert, chairman of the master development plan steering committee, said the medical district cannot determine the future of empty buildings in the district. Albert also is SSMID commission vice chairman.

"They're all individual property owners, so if that property owner wants to have his building torn down, then he can," Albert said.

"If he doesn't want to have it torn down or he wants to apply for historical funds, things of that nature, he can do that. The medical district (plan) is more of an encouragement ... saying it would be nice to be like this, and then create more of a momentum to do that."

Freres said there will be a series of events over the next six months. More open houses will be held Thursday and Friday at the PCI Pavilion, he noted.

Details will be available at the district's new website, crmedquarter.com.