The center of the building has a picturesque clock tower reminiscent of those atop many courthouses.Ĭommunity leaders in Charles City hoped the McQuillen Place development would give the city an economic shot in the arm, providing needed housing and new downtown commercial space. The project in the heart of downtown Charles City is mixed-use building that combines retail space on the ground floor and two upper floors that contain 33 apartments. Had my friend read this week’s Des Moines Sunday Register, his blood pressure would have surged when he saw the front-page article about a $9 million project the Iowa Economic Development Authority has walked away from in northeastern Iowa. Picking winners and losers is what some call this. The policies we see today would have him sputtering, because I know he would not be keen on government providing a helping hand to some projects while turning its back on others. He died before Iowa’s economic development efforts became more focused on investing in big projects in big communities. He coaxed and cajoled his community to not be complacent and to make needed improvements. He was involved in trying to recruit small manufacturers to locate plants in his town and provide jobs that would entice young people to remain after high school. ![]() But he still thought government leaders in Des Moines should not deal an unfair hand of cards to rural communities like his in favor of the hand being dealt to Iowa’s large population centers. He understood it was more difficult for politicians in Washington to relate to communities like his. He knew that the days were long gone when a shopper would have to circle the town square before finding a parking space in his town. He knew that his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes were not going to compete for the national championship. He closely followed what our leaders in Washington, D.C., and Des Moines were doing and how their decisions affected life - and the future - of his little corner of the world. ![]() Instead, he chose to work and expend his leadership energy in a smaller town with fewer people than some neighborhoods in Des Moines have. I’m sure he had opportunities to follow a career path that would have taken him to a large city, just as I did. I had a friend for many years who fit that description. Community leaders always prefer to see the glass as half full instead of dwelling on trends and policies beyond their control that could easily produce anxiety - or ulcers.
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