Library decision shows leadership

Cedar Rapids took another important step toward flood recovery this week.

The City Council voted 7-2 to build a new central public library at the TrueNorth site on the southern edge of Greene Square Park downtown. The vote came at the end of a fascinating, open council debate with a few moments of drama.

The Gazette's news staff has covered the library saga from start to finish, but in recent weeks, we've resisted taking an editorial stand for obvious reasons. Gazette Communications' current downtown location was among sites being considered for the new library, creating an unusual situation that kept us on the sidelines.

But now that the siting debate has concluded with council action, we commend the mayor, City Council and library board for pushing the process forward to conclusion.

The sooner we have a new library helping pull patrons downtown, the better.

It's no secret that businesses both sizable and small in the city's core are struggling to stay above water even after surviving the flood. Mayor Ron Corbett clearly recognized that time is of the essence, and he should be commended for placing the library site decision on an accelerated timeline.

Sidestepping calls for delay, the Council stuck to that schedule and embraced action over more frustrating delay.

That's not to suggest that the community did not get a chance to adequately weigh in on where the library should be located.

The library board spent months exploring the possibilities, a period that included open houses and chances for public input.

The winning TrueNorth site was among potential locations scrutinized and publicly debated for months.

City officials also took great care in recent weeks to gather the information needed to make a thoughtful decision. FEMA and state Homeland Security officials were consulted and provided input on potential sites.

Council members heard from urban planners who previously created a blueprint for downtown redevelopment. Officials also heard plenty from their constituents.

In the end, leaders with a clear objective and aggressive timeline gathered the facts they needed and made a critical decision. This is the sort of leadership we've been looking for in Cedar Rapids since floodwaters receded.

We hope this will provide a template for accelerated action on other big decisions.

The library vote and other recent moves by city leaders have helped build a feeling of building momentum. There will be stumbles and setbacks, disagreements and delays, but optimism is starting to nudge aside persistent pessimism.

A new library is on track. Theatre Cedar Rapids reopened last night. Both good signs.

It's too soon to declare mission accomplished, but we're now big steps closer to recovery.