The Eastern Iowa Triangle? (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: university, taxes, shop)

[CincyIowan]

Does anyone else think that Eastern Iowa is quickly becoming the new "Triangle" area in the U.S., similar to the one in North Carolina? Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Iowa City could become the major epicenter for a High Tech Corridor along I-80/I-380, connecting these three metropolitan areas together. My prediction is that many Chicago based companies will look to Eastern Iowa as a cheaper area to invest in than the Chicagoland area, and build their High Tech Companies/Business in Eastern Iowa. Either what you may think the future of Eastern Iowa is looking very bright.

The Possible Eastern IA Triangle area:


The current North Carolina "Triangle" area/corridor:

[Meemur]

It's certainly possible. There's an educated workforce and the beginnings of an internet network.

With all the flooding and clean up of downtown CR, would there be enough money available for tax rebates
to motivate companies to invest there? That county has some extremely high taxes. I'm not sure if that's also the case in Quad Cities, although I think there might be a similar problem.

I think that might be one of the factors holding back Eastern Iowa, but it could be overcome.

[smpliving]

Don't know about a high tech corridor, but can say that the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is doing a lot of building on the main campus and in Coralville, in addition to their research park in North Liberty. Also, all of the hospital's business offices, now at UIHC and in downtown Iowa City, are scheduled to relocate within the next 2-3 years to new facilities being built in North Liberty to accommodate the hospital's growing expansion.

[econboy]

There are a lot of genetics companies growing in this area. I can see a bio triangle of sorts some day. Although the main issue for me seems to be that I see the QC as being separated from CR, IC. It seems to me that iowa city is the brightest in terms of future for biotech or IT growth. Cedar Rapids has godaddy and a few other tech companies that are growing fast, plus Rockwell Collins.

It would seem that the Des Moines area has the best chance of seeing measurable high tech continued expansion with the base that's already there.

[CincyIowan]

Originally Posted by Meemur

It's certainly possible. There's an educated workforce and the beginnings of an internet network.

With all the flooding and clean up of downtown CR, would there be enough money available for tax rebates
to motivate companies to invest there? That county has some extremely high taxes. I'm not sure if that's also the case in Quad Cities, although I think there might be a similar problem.

I think that might be one of the factors holding back Eastern Iowa, but it could be overcome.

I'm sure those companies would set up shop along the Interstates instead of the Downtown core's of Cedar Rapids and Davenport, We are seeing the beginning stages of this with Cedar Rapids' High Tech Corridor just south of the city limits near the airport and in Davenport north of I-80 near their airport.

[Dport7674]

Davenport and Cedar Rapids have that blue collar manufacturing image going on. Iowa City has the medical/hospital image.

I don't see high tech companies moving in. At least not to the point where an "Eastern Iowa Triangle" becomes and actual thing.

Seems like highly educated areas like Seattle, Pittsburgh and places like Austin would be too much competition.

Tho' it'd be nice and I hope something like that can happen for that area.

[smpliving]

Rockwell Collins moved about 400 employees to downtown CR a couple years ago. Intermec built a new building downtown, and I believe Ruffalo Cody, though I could be wrong about RC. The University of Iowa has an extension of their MBA program downtown, Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield has a new building, and TrueNorth renovated the flooded library next to the new Federal Building. So it's encouraging to see the progress going on downtown after the 2008 flood.

[kw290]

Yes if you pretend.

[atler8]

^^^ This @ 4:27

No, it's not becoming the "new 'Triangle' area in the U.S."
I wish that it were but it's just not.
That being said, I don't mean to infer that it does not have it's attributes & some hi tech business but the "the" is not appropriate in the phrase given the number of major hi tech centers already in existence elsewhere.

[Chicago60614]

Maybe for Iowa it is, at least the Iowa City area is driving ahead and Cedar Rapids is holding above water. Quad Cities are just wading along.

As for national, I don't think it's anywhere near as ready for that yet. In Chicago the huge pull right now is towards downtown from the suburbs and other areas of the midwest. The downtonw and loop area are where it's at right now, especially the pull of young people. I love Iowa, but there aren't corporations in Chicago that are going to pull up and move to.....Iowa. Not meaning that offensive at all, it's just not on the radar.