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Location, Location, Location

Des Moines Business Record Online
http://www.businessrecord.com/Main.asp?SectionID=40&SubSectionID=75&ArticleID=2898

July 30, 2006

[Note: This material is copyright by The Des Moines Business Record Online, 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 Des Moines Business Record.]

The first hot locations in America were along rivers. People need water, and the river's flow provided power. Later, the proximity of railroads determined your settlement's fate. Good rail service meant you had a chance of turning into a Kansas City; bad service meant you were doomed to second-rate status.

In our time, it has been the interstate highway system that has made big things happen. So it seems unfortunate that the rain forest project, kicked from here to there like a soccer ball for years, is down to two possible locations, neither one sporting a single interstate exit ramp.

Riverside is located just off U.S. Highway 218 south of Iowa City. Not a bad location, and it already has a casino under construction to lure travelers. But the casino crowd is not the same as the nature crowd.

Pella might rank as a tourist attraction in the minds of most Iowans, but it's very much "out of the way" for people passing through the state.

The question of how far people will be willing to sidetrack for a visit now becomes a major concern. The Riverside and Pella locations aren't going to catch the eye of travelers on their way to the Rocky Mountains or Chicago, a group that's generally in the mood to experience something new and different and wouldn't mind stopping at an artificial rain forest -- if it were right on the way.

No, not everything has to be in Des Moines. The city had its chance at this project long ago and passed. A more recent attempt to drum up interest fell flat.

Coralville couldn't make it happen either.

So, logically, the field opened up. With luck, the attraction will be built and will draw lots of people who see it as a prime destination.

But no matter how well it goes, it won't have the benefit of interstate drop-in traffic, which is a powerful tourism force.

When you're driving across Nebraska, and you see the museum at Kearney, built like a bridge over Interstate 80, you're likely to stop because you can't miss it and you're ready for a break.

An Earthpark sure could use that same kind of built-in advertisement.