08/09/2020
I'm frustrated that there are people in Nevada that don't understand that owning a building or business is a gamble. We do our best to hedge against the odds as much as possible: We advertise. We put up signs. We encourage word of mouth. We put our businesses where the most travel is. We invest in upgrading our equipment, our services, and our buildings.
In today's society, convenience is everything. If you don't think so, ask the businesses downtown how their business has been since the main street construction closed down the streets.
After they were allowed to reopen since Covid, the sidewalks have been left open, but now, people have to walk a block or more to get to the businesses. Ask any of those businesses how they're doing.
Before new US 30 bypassed Lincoln Way, south Main street (6th) was a gravel road and a dead end. When New US 30 was completed south of the city, and Lincoln Way and Main street were bypassed, the city fathers knew it was a necessity that a paved and improved direct connection to US 30 from main street be established.
Even with that direct connection, businesses in Nevada were devastated.
Fifty years later, after struggling to overcome that obstacle, we find our city representatives considering removing that direct link to our downtown, after investing millions a few years ago to repair and renew the south end of main street, and immediately after spending millions to rebuild the sewage and water services and upgrade the downtown business district.
We fought for decades to become a Main Street Iowa Community to entice private companies and businesses to improve their buildings and attract new businesses... and six months later, the city council may choose to remove direct access to Main street from US 30.
Is that the kind of leadership this community needs or deserves?
Who is advocating for Nevada businesses? If this betrayal happens, Nevada, Iowa will have a beautiful, EMPTY, downtown monument to remind us of that betrayal, and the people that made that happen will be remembered for their abdication of their responsibilities to the community.
