I always thought the movie Ice Castles brought out a couple shortcoming in Cedar Rapids, when I would watch re-runs or hear the movie was playing. Actually, I saw two shortcomings in Cedar Rapids and it has stuck with me over all these years. The plot of the movie, if you have never seen it is ...
A young girl is on top of the world until a tragic accident dashes her
hopes and dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. Only with the help of
those who love her can she prove to the world -- and herself -- that she still
has the potential to realize her dreams.
Alexis Winston (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is a young girl who dreams of becoming
a champion figure skater. One night, while practicing, Alexis suffers a terrible
accident that takes her sight and threatens to destroy her dreams. In the midst
of feeling sorry for herself she falls in love with a handsome young man named
Nick (Robbie Benson) who (with help from her family) helps her to realize that
she can still fulfill her dreams. - imdb. com Plot Summary
In the movie, one of the figure skating competition's is said to be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The problem in the plot line... Cedar Rapids didn't have an indoor ice arena, let alone the U.S. Cellular Center at the time.
Though I am not an ice skater, never been. I have never had the nerve to get into a pair of skates. I am not a big fan of ice hockey, either. When I was growing up in Cedar Rapids, if you wanted to skate, reflecting back on my sister and brother, you could only go to a couple temporary outdoor ice locations at a few of our local public parks. They still offer it at Bever Park, during the winter.
As I watched or noticed that the movie Ice Castles was being re-ran, I always reflected on the fact that our community did not have a ice skating facility and indoor arena at the time of the movie. After college and the U.S. Cellar Center was completed, the lack of true convention center and an indoor ice arena carried on. After all, an arena isn't really the right venue for convention space. It can work, as a good temporary venue, but trying to market both conventions and arena type activities together at the same time doesn't work very well.
In the 1970s, taking from the concept of John Deere, trying to have a 2 in 1 piece of equipment, like a 2 in 1 snow machine and lawn mower; cities like Charlotte and Cedar Rapids envisioned a 2:1 type facility as an arena and convention center. But, the concept proved wrong, like the 2 in 1 John Deere machine.
In the 1990s, while on business in Charlotte for a trade show, I learned of Charlotte's mistake, like what we currently have in Cedar Rapids. Charlotte replaced their 2 in 1 faculty, with a new convention center back in the 1990s. It served as the host facility for the trade show I was attending back then.
Cedar Rapids has never resolved the short coming of our 2 in 1 facility. Like the quality John Deere products, you can make a good snow machine and a good lawn mower, but building a piece of equipment to do both very well, really doesn't do the job with the technology back in the 1970s. A 2 in 1 convention center and arena doesn't work either.
The June 5, 2009 on-line article in The Gazette by Rick Smith titled Panel urges city to focus on U.S. Cellular Center reflects on the need for changes in our community. We need to separate the convention facility from the arena.
Prior to the Flood of 2008, there was some talk and planning that the U.S. Cellular Center should be converted into a convention facility and a new arena should be build. The problem for the City today, post-Flood of 2008, the proposed idea and location for a new arena was on the wet side of the west side of the river. So, discussions are now turning to the east side of the river and Downtown.
Cities like Des Moines and Sioux City, used Vision Iowa funds for these type of community improvements. Over the past 10-15 years of partisanship in our local government, Cedar Rapids hasn't progressed very far and only one of our two shortcomings that I have reflected on has been completed so far. Sadly, with how the building and discussions of the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena (opened in January 2000) and our newer Veterans Memorial Stadium (opened in April 2002) were completed, we likely face some hurdles in our community today. As a community, we need to find a way to overcome our past shortcomings in public discussions and planing, so we can determine and complete a suitable solution for a separate arena and convention center.
Robin Tucker
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1 comment:
Good post, Robin. Our city has an education shortfall on this issue. Without the benefit of more personal awareness of the shortcomings and the successes others have enjoyed by filling those needs, I fear the educational curve will be steep. Not impossible, just steep. Having spent significant periods of time on the East Coast, I can also testify to the economic and identity impact of such needs.
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