Four council members support closing part of Second Ave SE for medical mall

Physicians' Clinic of Iowa appears close to getting its wish on the closing of Second Avenue SE between 10th and 12th streets SE.

At a noontime meeting on Wednesday, four members of the nine-member City Council expressed support for closing Second Avenue SE, calling it an acceptable trade off for the physicians' $36-million investment in what they call a medical “mall” at 10th Street SE at Second Avenue SE.

The project also includes a parking ramp, the estimated $8-million cost of which will be paid largely by the new property taxes over time that would be generated by the new medical facility.

Mayor Ron Corbett and council member Chuck Swore are most strongly in support of the PCI request to close a portion of Second Avenue SE, which is a major traffic artery into the downtown. Council members Justin Shields and Don Karr also said Wednesday that they were on board with the street closing.

Council members Kris Gulick and Chuck Wieneke said they like the proposed PCI investment,  which PCI and the city's hospitals argue will help establish a new medical district along 10th Street SE between the two hospitals. However, Gulick and Wieneke both said they wanted to see the ramifications on traffic flow and the cost of street changes that come with closing a stretch of Second Avenue SE.

Council member Monica Vernon said she, for now, is against the closure but open to listening.

Contacted by phone Wednesday afternoon, council member Tom Podzimek said he needed to hear more. It will take a compelling argument to get his vote to close a street, he said.

Council member Pat Shey could not be reached.