Hundreds of bicyclists enjoy perfect day to Ride the River

QC Times- About 800 “spokes-people” had a lot to talk about Sunday during and after the 29th annual Ride the River bicycle event defined by perfect weather and folks celebrating Father’s Day with a ride along the Mississippi River.

“We had a lovely ride,” said Kathy Wine, executive director of the sponsoring River Action Inc.

This year, she said, “The Colonel Davenport House got behind us. They put out 48 picnic blankets that are original art.” The Art Gallery included the canvases, actually huge prints that were laid out on the riverfront at the Col. Davenport House on the north end of Arsenal Island. The prints were created by artists Ward Olson, Ted McElhiney and Michael Blaser, Wine said. Children in a Quad-City Arts program also created prints for the canvases that were used for picnic blankets.

Picnic food was available for purchase from the Colonel Davenport House, which also was open for tours during the ride, Wine said.

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Interior work begins this fall on Union Arcade

QC Times- Interior work and the abatement process are expected to begin this fall on the historic Union Arcade building in downtown Davenport that was purchased last fall by area developer Rodney Blackwell.

He will convert it into residential housing with 67 market-rate apartments and some retail in the eight-story structure. Blackwell paid $1.65 million for the building at 3rd and Brady streets, whose first floor was constructed in 1915 as the Union Savings Bank & Trust. About a decade later, the other floors were added. He has said he will invest $6 million to $10 million in renovations.

Blackwell is the managing principal of the development company Financial District Properties, which built and opened Kone Centre in Moline. Blackwell bought the Union Arcade from Fred Dodds, owner of FDL Properties.

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The Democrat Building – Redevelopment

Doing It in Davenport!- The rush to scoop up historic and architecturally significant buildings in downtown Davenport for conversion into market rate apartments continues, with developers Tim Baldwin and Pat Sherman teaming up to redevelop the old Democrat building on Brady Street.

Opened in July 1924 as the new home to the predecessor of today’s Quad-City Times, The Democrat was modeled after similar buildings designed by famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. The local firm was Clausen & Kruse, a predecessor to current architecture firm SSGM Architects. John Gere of SGGM is assisting in the redevelopment, utilizing his firm’s copies of the original plans, bringing a cool sense of symmetry to the endeavor.

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River Roots Live and Ribfest 2013

We’re pumped to announce that The Wallflowers will headline River Roots Live with Shooter Jennings, BoDeans, and Vintage Trouble! Of course, we have a ton of other awesome bands and Ribfest BBQ, too!  Check out the website which is officially up and running to see what else this year’s festival has in store for you! www.RiverRootsLive.com

Multi-Million Dollar Development Moves Into Downtown Davenport

KWQC- A new group has plans to remodel a nearly 100 year old building downtown, investing about $5.6 million into the project and bringing nearly 60 jobs to the area.

The building is at 3rd and Main street in downtown Davenport. It was built in 1916 and used to house about 13 stores, including United Cigar. Since then, the building has been mostly vacant for the last decade.

Now Big Dog Construction in Davenport and its partners are breathing new life into the building.

The building’s new owners want to put in a bar/restaurant with a beer garden on part of the roof and room for five retail shops on the ground level. Plus, they want to add four to five floors of apartments up top with about 15 units on each floor.

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Accentuate Our Weirdness

QC Times- Where else in America do world-class walleye fishing and art thrive within two blocks of each other?

Where else can you take a two-state bar hopping tour on a $3 public transit custom bus?

Where else is a century-old swing-span rail bridge an architectural centerpiece?

These Q-C icons and distinctive experiences are just part of an identity that downtown Davenport planners want not only to preserve, but to cherish.

“We have our weirdness, too,” Downtown Davenport Partnership director Kyle Carter said in a meeting with the Times Editorial Board. Carter referenced Austin, Texas’ longtime “Keep Austin Weird” campaign devoted to local eccentricities and anomalies.

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United Cigar Building- Redevelopment

Doing It in Davenport- Another long under-utilized building on a high-visibility corner of downtown Davenport is getting a second lease on life. The United Cigar Building – built in 1916 by local architectural firm Clausen & Kruse – will soon be home to a 6,000-square foot high end* restaurant, a new retail store, construction firm offices and upscale hair salon. And that’s just the beginning. Local development partners Jim Thomson and Big Dog Construction plan to add several floors of residential apartments and a 2,500-square-foot outdoor rooftop beer garden over the next several years.

Initially, they hope to return the building to its former World War I era grandeur, with an upgrade to the exterior facade and windows. Architectural touches such as a mid-building skylight and restoration of the original 1916 terrazzo floors throughout the restaurant will be featured.

Read more and see photos here…

UPDATE: Renwick Building

Doing It in Davenport- Thanks to the generosity of architect Jim Morrison (yes, that’s his real name) – we got a sneak peak INSIDE the ongoing Renwick Building renovation on Brady Street. Work on both the first floor tenant space and the apartment spaces is reaching fever pitch. (We still can’t reveal the first-floor tenant, per their request, but we think they’re going to be a great addition to downtown.)

Restoration St. Louis is lauded for their ability to bring original architectural elements back to life, and this project is no different. We thought the saving of the 100-plus-year-old original staircases throughout the main section of the building was particularly cool.

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Downtown Davenport plans for next decade

QC Times- One of the Quad-Cities’ most experienced development groups, the Downtown Davenport Partnership, unveiled a new downtown vision mercifully short of pie-in-the sky dreams and anchored instead with a winning formula.

The Partnership is a unique QC-group, responsible for those lovely, iconic flower baskets and the biggest downtown festivals, but also pivotal in launching the downtown residential renaissance flourishing throughout our bi-state community.

Davenport is poised to double the existing 865 apartments and condos in the next decade, with 365 more units already in the works. At a meeting Wednesday, Partnership director Kyle Carter guided his audience through apartment conversions underway at the Renwick Building at 4th and Brady Streets, and new plans for apartments in the Wells Fargo Davenport bank tower, and at The Democrat, the now-vacant home to a predecessor of this newspaper. He outlined a vision that builds on private sector successes, not government projects.

Next on the agenda: Renovation of existing office space with help from DDP construction grants. The explosion of apartments provides a reliable workforce. This effort can invite more jobs downtown.

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Chocolate Manor Now Open!

For those of you looking to satisfy your sweet-tooth cravings, you’ll be pleased to hear the Chocolate Manor is now open right here downtown! Enjoy amazing homemade candies like truffles, dark and milk chocolate creams, toffee, lemon drop creams, cake pops, cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries and cherries, and much, much more. They even have a wide variety of GELATO flavors ranging from vanilla to coffee to lemon and even kettle korn! Stop in to see what other goodies await! Be on the look out for announcements regarding their official GRAND OPENING later this summer.

Check out some photos on our Facebook page to see the beautiful set up, and head to the Chocolate Manor’s Facebook page for even more information!

*located at 110 E 2nd Street*

River Heritage Park gets its gazebo

QC Times- A Wednesday groundbreaking for a River Heritage Park gazebo commemorating the Davenport Rotary Club’s 100 years in the community missed the centennial celebration by a year as design and park delays pushed it back.

But Wednesday was finally the day as Rotary and city officials dug in with gold shovels. The Davenport Rotary, the 34th such club in the world, marks “101-plus” years in the community, past president Mike Hamann said.

Current Davenport Rotary President Cheryl Goodwin called the groundbreaking “a long time coming.”

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Downtown Davenport 10 Year Strategic Action Plan

The Partnership is proud to announce the release of the new Downtown 10 Year Strategic Action Plan.      The plan is based on proven market realities, and the reality is, downtown Davenport is poised for significant growth for both residential and commercial development.  Learn more about catalytic opportunity sites for development, riverfront plans, beautification efforts, transportation plans, and of course, challenges that must be addressed to move forward.

The term “action” is in the title for a reason; the Partnership intends to actively utilize this document to to harness momentum and take downtown’s development to an even greater level of success.   The plan will be updated as the years pass to update our market study and reassess our strategic goals.

Downtown Davenport 10 Year Strategic Action Plan

Downtown Plan Builds on Residential Success

QC Times-  A 10-year strategic plan announced Wednesday for downtown Davenport would pivot from recent residential development success to boost commercial and retail occupancy.

The plan, announced by the Downtown Davenport Partnership at its annual meeting, was compiled by DiSalvo Development Advisors, EDGE Group and BKP Consulting. It is the first strategic plan since 1999.

Comfortable with the rate and pace of residential housing developments, the downtown partnership’s plan focuses on more market-rate residential properties and improving available office space.

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Wells Fargo, Democrat Buildings to Boast Housing

QC Times-  Two downtown Davenport icons — the former Democrat building and the Wells Fargo tower — will be among the next housing options for downtown dwellers.

Bettendorf developers Tim Baldwin and Pat Sherman have purchased the former Democrat newspaper office at 411 Brady St. and have launched a historic renovation. The $6 million project will create 21 housing units in the building.

Financial District Properties, a development company owned by Rodney Blackwell, has launched a $7.5 million renovation that will bring 29 market-rate apartments to a part of the Wells Fargo tower.

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Downtown Cleanup!

Spring is upon us!  The robins are back and the grass is  showing signs of life!  With that comes spring cleaning and we need your help.  Each year Davenport and Bettendorf organize a spring cleaning for our downtowns. This year’s event will be Friday, April 26th.  If you would like to give our downtowns a sprucing-up, follow the link below and get your group signed.  We will provide you with gloves and trash bags and even tickets to the Quad Cities River Bandits game that night!

come on out and spend a spring day helping your community!

Sign up here…

Q-C moves up in economic growth rankings

QC Times- The Quad-City region earned its highest ranking in the past decade in a key measurement of economic strength, according to data released Wednesday by Policom Corp.

The area was ranked 106th among 366 metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, rated across the country, the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce reported

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Freight House dreams come true

QC Times- Our AWOL springtime is scheduled to show up Saturday with a forecast warm enough to serve as an invitation to revisit Davenport’s Freight House Farmers Market.

There, you’ll find out what creative Davenporters were thinking when they charted a new course in 2010 for the Freight House.

Read more here…

Modern Woodmen Ferris wheel gets a location behind left field

QC Times- A 90-foot-tall Ferris wheel at Modern Woodmen Park will stand right where early drawings predicted it would, behind left field, framing the LeClaire Park bandshell.

The location is slightly inside the left field foul line, Davenport aldermen learned at a study session Tuesday afternoon at the ballpark. A reinforced concrete base will be built outside the stadium’s flood protection but will be accessible from the walkway atop the berm that rings the outfield.

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Bandits’ Correa brings maturity, talent

QC Times- Make no mistake about it. Carlos Correa is a special talent.

But what Quad-Cities River Bandits manager Omar Lopez likes best about the 18-year-old shortstop prospect is that he doesn’t act as if he’s special.

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Davenport’s hot new neighborhood is downtown

QC Times-

Davenport’s newest neighborhood took root nearly a century ago. The warehouse district on the east side of downtown is among our community’s fastest growing residential developments.

Earlier this month, Times reporter Alma Gaul reported how over the past decade, those old buildings are being renovated with state and federal tax help to create a neighborhood of 300 apartments, representing more than $50 million in private investment.

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