Give Me $55K Instead

I can tell you what's wrong with downtown Iowa City faster than some consultant can. What a titanic waste of money... here's the deal:

1. Rents are too damn high. (Yes, the rent downtown IS too damn high.)
2. Stop upscaling downtown. No one likes gentrification.
3. WWCD (What would Coralville do?)

Hopefully the 'consultant' that the City is insisting on hiring has the sense to offer free parking on weekends, a huge, giantic TIF district to attract businesses and tells the City Council to give people a reason to shop downtown again! Because right now if people want to buy a pair of jeans (a simple retail necessity) downtown Iowa City is the last place the majority of people who live here are going to go.

So I'd like free parking on weekends- in ramps TOO!
I'd like a movie theater back downtown.
I'd like maybe a permanent site for the Farmer's Market like Cedar Rapids is looking at doing?
I'd like a Red Robin and/or an In and Out Burger.

Basically, the Field of Dreams had it right: if you build it, they will come. But they're not going to come and buy ridiculously tiny clothes at upscale boutiques.