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REPORT (LEHMAN): ATTENDED ICAD MEETING

Excerpt from Minutes
Johnson County [Iowa] Board of Supervisors
Informal Meeting, Part 4
[http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/min00/000118_4.htm]

January 18, 2000



Stutsman: Mike, do you have anything this morning?

Lehman: Just tidbits from the Iowa City Area Development Meeting I went to Friday morning. Little follow up on the Novartis Seeds. It’s interesting to know that University Pharmacy had worked with Novartis a little bit in the seed coating, the technique and stuff. They also mentioned Proctor & Gamble is going to be doing a 60 million dollar renovation, mostly internal, for chemical handling, but they also mentioned there’d be… There’s line workers looking at transfer from a Connecticut plant that’s going to be closing. Just heads up for this, along with Governor Vilsack trying to recruit former Iowans back and new residents. It’s all demand on housing. People in the business trades and stuff like that, but it’ll put more stress on us for impossible zonings as things flow out over the cities. Also heard on the Iowa Child Projects, which is a committee headed up by Bob Ray. They’ll be doing a feasibility project to the Governor by the end of January, and what that is, it’s a project that’s a brainchild of a businessman from Des Moines by the name of Townsend. He wants to create a rainforest, it’d be a tourist type attraction. They need 1.4 million visitors per year to make it work. They’re looking at locating in the North Corridor area. It’s a priority. One group has been talking about that. I think maybe this week there’s going to be a bill introduced, millennium fund, to the legislature (inaudible) 300 million dollars, but they need some local funds here also between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City commitments to make this thing happen. They think they can get a lot of people a benefit from these influx of tourists.

Jordahl: Do you mean like a terrarium, where there would be a dome over it?

Lehman: I believe, something like that. I haven’t seen any blueprints and stuff, but he’s apparently held some meetings here. I think he addressed ICAD here a while back. It’s pretty elaborate. Des Moines passed on it. They had some other activities, they felt they couldn’t commit to this. This is something you may be hearing or reading more about as this thing gets off the ground. Of course, you kind of look at maybe Coralville, Tiffin area, that kind of stuff, but this group, ICAD, seemed pretty content if they could get it in the Corridor area.

Jordahl: (Inaudible) easier.

Lehman: Well, major areas would all benefit from it. It’s all I have. Kind of a heads up, stuff coming down the pipe.

Jordahl: Be good if they put it some place… Well, never mind, I can’t debate it, can I?