City government's most effective role could be to remove the roadblocks to development. Tomorrow's downtown may be more of a residential district than a retail district. Yet the two uses would complement each other. More than a few people locally harbor high hopes of seeing downtown become an entertainment center. Others predict the creation of quieter pockets focusing on antiques or the arts.
Residents tend to get fixated on problem buildings rather than serious business opportunities.
The arguments that result often are unresolvable. In fact, the future of the downtown does not hinge on what happens to the old hospital, or the depot, or the library, or any one building. I expect any consultant to want to capitalize on the Mississippi River. The riverfront link to Burlington's downtown is unlike any other in Iowa. But the downtown also encompasses the surrounding neighborhoods.