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Old 03-17-2009, 07:36 PM
 
Location: Omaha, NE
1,119 posts, read 4,199,246 times
Reputation: 414
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMRyan View Post
Council Bluffs looks a million times better than it used to, mainly because of the casino dollars flowing in for improvement projects. It's a pretty industrial little city really, and its workforce and residents reflect that by and large. There is a quite a bit of development and redevelopment at work here, and it's truly developed into the Omaha area's 2nd playground after their downtown.

I do agree with Chicago60614 that Council Bluffs and all of Western Iowa really are not much of a thought with the remainder of the state.
It won't be much longer and Council Bluffs will have a few more large-scale projects breaking ground..

Including a ten story condo/hotel tower with an extreme sports complex..
An 800,000 square foot very upscale factory outlet mall (chosen over minneapolis and KC and other points in the Omaha metro)
Playland park which may include another ten story tower, many rowhouses and retail and entertainment facilities, and will be located on the Council Bluffs side of the Pedestrian Bridge..

Park renovations, interstate expansions, art deco sculptures that are very large in scale, renovating parts of its old downtown area and Broadway..

This city is really cleaning up!

BTW here are the housing permits per year:

Pottawattamie County permits:

POST HOUSING BUBBLE BURST:

2008: 189
Unincorporated: 63
City: 126

2007: 376
Unincorporated: 66
City: 310

PRE HOUSING BUBBLE BURST:

2006: 444
Unincorporated: 68
City: 376

2005: 427
Unincorporated: 134
City: 293

2004: 351
Unincorporated: 120
City: 231

2003: 490
Unincorporated: 106
City: 384

2002: 322
Unincorporated: 108
City: 214

2001: 420
Unincorporated: 111
City: 309

2000: 727
Unincorporated: 205
City: 522

HOUSING PERMITS FOR RESIDENTIAL COUNTY AND COUNCIL BLUFFS:
TOP-2008, BOTTOM-2000
189
376
444
427
351
490
322
420
727
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Old 03-17-2009, 09:07 PM
 
1,437 posts, read 3,072,986 times
Reputation: 257
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehenningsen View Post
Counciltucky!

But seriously, while the city still has its old problems, it takes time for the new dynamics to take a strong foothold..
No, it was something different than that. Give me another name.
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Old 03-17-2009, 09:28 PM
 
2,598 posts, read 4,926,746 times
Reputation: 2275
Can all the casinos be a negative as well? Somebody's losing all the money the casinos are bringing in. Is it a double-edged sword?

I really don't know statistics on this, so I'm not speaking with any authority here. I'm just curious. I'm not here to bash casinos, because I've been to a number of them here in Wisconsin. I know of people (don't know them personally), who have lost their homes due to gambling debt. Gambling addiction is a real problem for some people, and I think it's more common than we might know. Casinos may be good for the community as a whole, but they may take down a number of residents of that community. (Not bashing or criticizing, just food for thought).

By the way, I grew up in Omaha and want only the best for Council Bluffs.
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Old 03-17-2009, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Indiana Uplands
26,408 posts, read 46,581,861 times
Reputation: 19554
Quote:
Originally Posted by NowInWI View Post
Can all the casinos be a negative as well? Somebody's losing all the money the casinos are bringing in. Is it a double-edged sword?

I really don't know statistics on this, so I'm not speaking with any authority here. I'm just curious. I'm not here to bash casinos, because I've been to a number of them here in Wisconsin. I know of people (don't know them personally), who have lost their homes due to gambling debt. Gambling addiction is a real problem for some people, and I think it's more common than we might know. Casinos may be good for the community as a whole, but they may take down a number of residents of that community. (Not bashing or criticizing, just food for thought).

By the way, I grew up in Omaha and want only the best for Council Bluffs.
The only Casino I have been to in WI was the one in Baraboo! That was kind of a strange experience due to the touristy nature of the area.
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Old 03-18-2009, 06:05 AM
 
Location: Omaha, NE
1,119 posts, read 4,199,246 times
Reputation: 414
Quote:
Originally Posted by NowInWI View Post
Can all the casinos be a negative as well? Somebody's losing all the money the casinos are bringing in. Is it a double-edged sword?

I really don't know statistics on this, so I'm not speaking with any authority here. I'm just curious. I'm not here to bash casinos, because I've been to a number of them here in Wisconsin. I know of people (don't know them personally), who have lost their homes due to gambling debt. Gambling addiction is a real problem for some people, and I think it's more common than we might know. Casinos may be good for the community as a whole, but they may take down a number of residents of that community. (Not bashing or criticizing, just food for thought).

By the way, I grew up in Omaha and want only the best for Council Bluffs.
Absolutely there are negatives from the casinos..

The negative impact though is surprisingly overshadowed by the positives that Council Bluffs has experienced, and i think you can contribute that to the fact that the both cities are a regional destination and not just a local one.
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Old 03-20-2009, 08:48 AM
 
Location: Iowa
2 posts, read 7,335 times
Reputation: 12
I'm a Steeler fan also. As for your "white trash" comment, "Rock on oh ye who cannot spell or use the English language correctly. Much love from Council Bluffs!
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:10 AM
 
Location: Iowa
2 posts, read 7,335 times
Reputation: 12
The casinos are DEFINITELY a double-edged sword. That was a given from day one, in my humble opinion. I don't like to see people spending their last dollar when it's become an addiction. In the same breath, the dollars they bring in and use to help various causes, I do like.
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Old 03-20-2009, 10:05 PM
 
Location: Iowa
3,320 posts, read 4,130,500 times
Reputation: 4616
I wish all the best for Counsil Bluffs and Western Iowa. I don't mind at all if Omaha wants to spend their money in Iowa having a good time. However, I hope they gamble in a responsible way that does not harm their families.

I'm not the risk taker type when it comes to money, and can't see why people bet on games when the odds are against you. Even when they win, they lose because they always go back for more. I know people that are stingy as hell, but think nothing about dumping a thousand bucks into a casino on a single visit. And they always tell you about the big money they won, with no mention of what they lost. Guess if your attracted to shiney things, the urge is irresistable.

What seems strange to me is that many people with high incomes also go to casinos. Business men, professionals, many people go there to try and win money they already have plenty of. The casino appeals to one of mankinds worst failures, that of greed.
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Old 03-21-2009, 12:36 AM
 
Location: Tampa (by way of Omaha)
14,561 posts, read 23,067,590 times
Reputation: 10356
I lived in Council Bluffs from 1996 until early 2002 when we moved to Florida, and before that we had lived in Omaha.

I always liked the industrial small town vibe that CB gave off, and it certainly had an odd bit of charm to it. I'm glad to see that there are even more improvements being made to the city.
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Old 12-03-2009, 12:08 AM
 
17 posts, read 41,733 times
Reputation: 20
I think from a retail perspective, Council Bluffs is doing very well. The city is only 60,000 people and it has more retail than, say Ames, for example (and they are approximately 60g and are close to Des Moines as well...) I don't know why everyone's moving from the mall...I saw JCPenney, Lane Bryant, Target, Deb Shop, Maurices, RadioShack, Rue21, Gamestop, and Christopher & Banks, all tenants in The Mall of the Bluffs, step away and build into a nice plaza along with a Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, and Buffalo Wild Wings. IMHO The JCPenney looks like a Hy-Vee Food Store lol.

Council Bluffs has it good for shopping...a moderately filled mall WITH

Barnes & Noble
Sears
Dillard's
Panera Bread
The Buckle

They just need to fill the Target and JCPenney Anchor spaces...I personally haven't seen the mall since 2007 but I'm sure it doesn't look as good as it used to. But again, CB as a lot more such as a newly remodeled nice looking Wal-Mart, a Best Buy, Toys R Us (which needs a remodel IMHO), a Kmart on the east side (first thing you see on US 6 if driving in from the West), OfficeMax, a newly opened Shopko, and I think that we have the casinos to thank for all that...And I have not been into CB enough to see the "ghetto" part. I'm sure like all moderately sized cities (except Ames...Ames is a really nice town) have some sort of ghetto...but personally I'd rather live in Council Bluffs than Omaha ANY day....and CB has 3G service from AT&T! It's because of Omaha but still! Anyways sorry for my rant...when I compare cities I compare their retail...just like I compare Village Pointe to Jordan Creek, and Jordan Creek wins hands down!
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