Downtown Cedar Rapids has come a long way since the flood of 2008. It took several years, but the community has really pulled together to bring the heart of our city back to the way it was before the flood.

It's exciting to see all of the new downtown business that have popped up over the last few years. So many choices now for food, drinks and entertainment. I'm proud to be a citizen of this great city, and I feel the best is yet to come.

But not everyone feels the way I do. Many of my friends stay clear of downtown because of all of the construction and the parking fees. People are actually intimidated to visit the downtown area.

Parking is expensive and can be a bit of hassle. The new meters are hard to operate, and the fines for expired meters are double what they should be. This is why people get angry and choose to spend money in other parts of the city.

My idea is to offer FREE parking in downtown Cedar Rapids for 365 days. That's right, one year of free parking. This will be a way to give back to not only the citizens, but the folks that visit Cedar Rapids. Let's give it a shot, what's the worst thing that can happen?

This promotion will be huge for downtown business owners. This may even spark the interest of entrepreneurs to bring shopping back to the downtown area. Back in the day, people came from all over the state to shop in our downtown area. I'd love to see that come back again!

What do you think....am I crazy? Comment below and we can discuss.

FREE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS! 

Let's make this happen.....

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