Broadway, Redwood, what's the difference?

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but a proposal to rename Iowa City's Broadway Street in an effort to rehab its reputation just plain stinks.

Southgate Development wants the city to change 1,550 feet of Broadway south of Highway 6 to something else.

It's an effort to distance their neighborhood investments from the area's troubled public image.

As if trouble is just wandering around town, looking for a place to land, when it looks up at a street sign, its eyes lighting in recognition: “Aha! Broadway - the place I've been looking for all this time.”

As if you could enter neighborhood blocks into some kind of streets department version of the witness protection program - offer them a fresh start as Park Avenue or Mrs. Jones.

Southgate has suggested “Redwood Drive” as a nice alternative - one that doesn't bring street crime and poverty to mind.

But neither does the name “Broadway” in most contexts. In fact, I hear there's a really nice one out East somewhere.

Bottom line is no matter how clever your name, it's not enough to make your reputation or change the way people think about you.

Just ask Marrion Morrison or Robert Van Winkle - it takes more than a cool-sounding name like John Wayne or Vanilla Ice to create an image you're proud to hang your hat on.

Southgate knows this, that's why they're sinking nearly $6 million into renovating the locally infamous Broadway Condominiums - investing a lot more time and money than it would have taken just to rename the buildings something comforting, like Nice and Quiet After 10 P.M. or No Crime Around Here Homes.

I understand Southgate's motivation to polish the area's image. Truth be told, rumors about public safety concerns on Broadway and on neighboring streets have often far outstripped the actual condition of the neighborhood.

But it's property investments like Southgate's and commitments like the city satellite police station that will turn those rumors around.

It's the good news from programs at the Broadway Neighborhood Center, the good work of Neighborhood Watches and other groups, the fun events like the annual 319 Festival that are helping Iowa Citians understand what the neighborhood is really like.

It's what's happening that is changing people's perceptions of Broadway. Not what the city decides to call it.

The idea that renaming a street could have anywhere near that kind of impact?

I just call that silly.

Comments: (319) 339-3154; jennifer.hemmingsen@sourcemedia.net