Terry "No Chickens" Dickens Wants the Jefferson Building Made into a "Boutique Hotel"

Terry "No Chickens" Dickens, Iowa City councilor, wants the Jefferson Building, currently owned by the University of Iowa in prime downtown real estate, converted to its original status as a "boutique hotel." 

In any case, Terry Dickens, who owns the jewelry store Herteen & Stocker in part of the first floor of the Jefferson Building, never misses an issue closest to his nose or his front doorstep.

When panhandlers hit him up for change every time he left his jewelry store to attend a city council meeting, he wanted that stopped like right now. He wanted the panhandlers moved back at some distance. Did he get it done? I believe he did.

When chickens threatened the front doorstep of his home, he was agin' it. He wanted no chickens at all in Iowa City. If that vote failed, he at least wanted the right of neighbors to veto chickens adjacent to their property. I agree with him there, which is why I christened Mr. Dickens with the name Terry "No Chickens" Dickens in honor of his sole contribution to his constituents as opposed to merely his own self-interest.

We are now back to his own self-interest, which is a "boutique hotel" for the rest of the Jefferson Building that he does not occupy. I would imagine that a boutique hotel would be something other than a flophouse for the panhandlers who bother him every time he leaves his store to go to a city council meeting. Or used to.

"I would hope that the consultants [the city hires to do their job for them] would want retail on the first floor," Mr. Dickens opined.

I would think the city would, Mr. Dickens. In fact, I believe it's the law that buildings downtown provide retail space on the first floor of any downtown building.

Upon thinking about it, though, I really do agree with Dickens on this issue too. Iowa City needs another hotel, and downtown would be an ideal location. People would be within walking or bicycling distance of downtown, Kinnick Stadium, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. They'd also be within busing distance of the stadium and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.