Downtown hotel project among topics discussed by Mason City City Council candidates during forum (AUDIO)

MASON CITY — The long-delayed hotel portion of the River City Renaissance project was one of the many topics discussed last night by the candidates running for City Council in Mason City during a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of North Iowa.

Two legs of the project — the Mason City Arena and the Principal Performing Arts Pavilion — have long been completed, but the private developer in charge of the hotel portion of the River City Renaissance has yet to break ground. 

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At-large council candidate Leon Robertson says he’d like to see the developer show up at a council meeting in the near future and get the citizens up to date on the status of the hotel. 

 

 

At-large candidate Kevin Easley says the city is now waiting to see what the developer does next. 

 

 

At-large candidate Tim Latham says as part of that development, the city should have purchased Southbridge Mall and not the hotel developer. 

 

 

Robertson, Easley and Latham are running for the seat that was left vacant by the death of Tom Thoma earlier this year.

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Third Ward councilman Joshua Masson says lawyers are holding up ground being broken on the hotel.

 

 

Third Ward challenger Ryan Schupick says he doesn’t know what’s currently going on with the hotel project and doesn’t have a good solution to the issue. 

 

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Paul Adams, who is running unopposed for re-election to his at-large council seat, says the council has done what they can do for now and are awaiting the developer to make his next move. 

 

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You can hear the entire forum from last night via the audio player below