Monthly Archives: September 2007

Fostering Innovation in Cedar Rapids

Karen Merrick of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, in recent discussions about the alleged decreasing Iowa workforce, implied that one way to bring more employees to the area is to increase innovation in the area. This is probably true, but what exactly counts as innovation, and what can we do to foster its growth in Cedar Rapids?Perhaps unfortunately, not a lot of innovation tends to come out of established companies, and even more rarely does it come out of [...]

The State of Westdale Mall

Westdale Mall has been on the decline for years. Circa 1993, it was a nice place to be, but after the demise of Montgomery Ward, everything started going downhill. Today, many shops are vacant and closed up. One of the busiest spots seems to be the city’s lone Chick-fil-A franchise, with many customers entering the mall for the express purpose of eating at this restaurant. Ironically, the areas directly surrounding Westdale Mall have built up tremendously over the same time [...]