Mason City council approves two big steps in Renaissance project
Skywalk contract and mall redevelopment among final steps.
Posted: May 18, 2021 8:13 PM
Posted By: Mike Bunge
MASON CITY, Iowa – The City Council took big steps Tuesday night toward the completion of the River City Renaissance project.
First, council members approved a contract and bond for the construction of a $1.9 million skywalk between Music Man Square and the proposed Hyatt Place Hotel in the current parking lot of Southbridge Mall. In response to a council question on Mason City getting a “skywalk to nowhere,” City Administrator Aaron Burnett says he remains confident in the hotel project and says a groundbreaking date could be announced in June.
An Essay on Man in 1733.
Thatâs a good way of expressing the guarded optimism we have as yet another redevelopment plan for downtown Mason City surfaced last week at the City Council meeting.
This one has to do with repurposing Southbridge Mall, the pride of downtown 30 years ago but a symbol of futility in recent years.
Most all of the anchors have closed or moved out â JC Penney, Younkers, the movie theaters, Walgreens.
Some good things have happened in the last couple of years with the opening of the arena, the Sports Page bar/diner and a few other entities.
Shown is a rendering of the development site for a new, $48 million hotel, in the background, and additional convention center space, foreground, at the north end of Festival Park. The new convention center would be tied in with Festival Hall, which would be renovated. This view looks toward the northwest and shows Festival Hall at left. Michael Burke
RACINE â The site work necessary to combine Festival Hall with a modern convention center and accompanying lakefront hotel is to soon be underway.
News of the work has some asking, âWhat?â City residents have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for so long, they may have forgotten about the $48 million development proposal.