Return to Nicholas Johnson's Coralville Rain Forest Web Site
 

[Note: This material is copyright by the Press-Citizen, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Iowa City Press-Citizen.]

There were the lawsuits. Criticism about whether this should be a government enterprise. The relationship with the Iowa Environmental Project. The last-minute uncertainty of just what hotel company would join the endeavor.

But the council and other city planners stuck to their vision. And with the ceremonial toss of several shovels of dirt, the official construction phase begins on the hotel and conference center, the heart of the Iowa River Landing.

We congratulate the city for its persistence. We think the addition will fill a need in the community, that it will help attract more visitors to this area. We applaud the environmental cleanup efforts.

The city has mustered federal, state and local resources to reach this point so far. In the end, this project will be good for the whole community -- not just for Coralville.

Consider the Iowa River Landing plans beyond the hotel and conference center: trails, a boardwalk, play areas, outdoor performance area, trolley line, a small boat marina and concession stand.

This is a dizzying, ambitious project even without the Iowa Environmental Project, which promises a mega-million-dollar rainforest, aquarium and theater.

Whether you agree with the riverfront project or see the vision, it's inspiring to note Coralville's progress. We need to remember that in many Iowa towns, residents are desperately working just to stay where they are.

Coralville, meanwhile, is moving forward, road bumps or not.

Starting July 1, the state of Iowa plans to do a better job of promoting its 23 National Historic Landmarks. That's when a new law requiring state agencies to tout the landmarks goes into effect.

That's good news, and not just because three of the sites -- the Old Capitol, Herbert Hoover's birthplace and the Amana Colonies -- are in our area.

We should take pride in these sites and spending some money to make sure they have proper signs and are a bit better promoted makes sense. It also makes sense that funding comes from existing Economic Development, Cultural Affairs and Transportation budgets.