Cedar Rapids City Council Approves Street Closing for Medical Mall

By Mark Geary, Reporter

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By Kelli Sutterman

Story Created: Oct 26, 2010 at 8:30 PM CDT

Story Updated: Oct 26, 2010 at 10:59 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Cedar Rapids will be closing a portion of Second Avenue southeast to make way for a new Physicians Clinic of Iowa, or PCI, building. The city council approved the plan Tuesday night with a six to three vote. The building is scheduled to open in January 2014.

The $40 million project will help to anchor the Cedar Rapids medical district. But, it will also change the way people drive through the city.

The Physicians' Clinic of Iowa project will keep 350 jobs in Cedar Rapids and could also boost the surrounding area.

"Hopefully this is going to lead to more growth and more development in our downtown,” Mayor Ron Corbett said.

Few people have concerns about the concept, but plenty of people don't want to shut down a major city street.

"If it were up to me, I would prefer to build up and over and keep Second Avenue open,” City Council Member Chuck Wieneke said.

Of course, some do support closing the street, but those against the idea have been much more vocal.

"They can say all they want about what will happen 50 years from now, but this is going to have a terrible, terrible effect on our city,” Vern Schueller said.

Not too long ago, PCI was just another medical organization.

Now, the group has made a lot of people upset and the leadership understands that.

"To see that hostility and venom is very hurtful to us, so it's our charter to build that respect and trust back up,” PCI Board of Directors member Steven Wahle said.

Council members Monica Vernon, Don Karr and Chuck Wieneke voted against the PCI proposal. Right now, plans call for a portion of Second Avenue to close sometime after April 1 of next year.

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