November 28, 2023 | Community Development
Downtown is shimmering as twinkling lights go up in transforming the urban core. The MedQuarter and Downtown SSMIDs (Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District) have joined...
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September 1, 2023 | Community Development, Economic Development & Workforce
In today's competitive market for workforce , the demand for affordable housing has never been more critical. It is not just a matter of providing shelter; it's about empoweri...
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April 28, 2023 | Buy 319
Bloomsbury Farm is a local homestead that was founded in 1856. Dave Petersen and his wife Karen, the 5th generation to take over the Farm, started the agri-tourism business in...
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February 20, 2023 | Business Support, Community Development
Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company is the proud supporting sponsor of the Economic Alliance’s Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week 2023. Restaurant Week is a ten day, buy local foo...
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November 23, 2022 | Business Support
​Many members of our community are navigating obstacles and challenges in their every day lives, and the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA gives them an amazing space to navigate it a...
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November 14, 2022 | Economic Development & Workforce
In late October, I had the privilege to play tour guide for authors Jim and Deb Fallows for two days during their first visit to Cedar Rapids. While the Fallows’ have had i...
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October 24, 2022 | Business Support
When diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are ingrained in a society’s core, it’s a win for everyone. An equitable business community not only makes the local economy str...
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September 26, 2022 | Economic Development & Workforce
The Economic Alliance team hears regularly from our members about their workforce challenges, and that includes access to child care that create barriers for working parents. ...
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September 15, 2022 | Business Support
According to the calendar, it’s still officially summer. So, before you put pumpkins on the porch or hang skeletons in your yard, here’s a list of all the ways to squeeze ...
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September 14, 2022 | Community Development
​Moving to a new city is a life changing decision. Whether it’s for a new career opportunity or to move closer to family, investing in a home can be a big risk. The Cedar ...
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September 7, 2022 | Community Development
​In late August local artist and owner of the Underground Art Studio, Scott Takes finished Next Nature, a dual mural that now adorns two sides of the Fix Salon building on t...
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August 30, 2022 | Economic Development & Workforce
Though it’s a long drive on I-80 between Cedar Rapids and Council Bluffs, our regional economies face many of the same challenges and opportunities. Iowans are working an...
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August 3, 2022 | Business Support
​“There are 10-15 powerhouse players within our industry in this world, and we’re in the top 5. In the United States specifically, it’s just us. We have no other compe...
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August 1, 2022 | Community Development
​An array of artistic beauty lines the west- and north-facing walls of the Citywide Cleaners building along A Avenue NE between 8th and 10th Street. The “Choose Kindnessâ€...
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July 27, 2022 | Community Development
​The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market can be the door for entrepreneurs to kickstart their passions and new business ideas. Economic downturns such as the 2020 COVID-19 ...
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