Cedar Rapids in negotiations with Vision Iowa board

The Vision Iowa board has agreed to enter into negotiations with the city of Cedar Rapids on a downtown revitalization project that may receive a grant. Cedar Rapids Mayor Paul Pate says they are asking the board for up to 14-million dollars for its 50-million dollar project. It would take up 200 acres and create room for more businesses and housing. The project had to be scaled back after voters rejected plans to use a local option sales tax to pay for it. Pate says developers were able to save the most popular aspects. Private developers have said they will pay for parts of the development and will make the project more monetarily reasonable. Cedar Rapids is entering into negotiations with the Vision Iowa board at a critical time because the program has only 14-million dollars left.