QC Development Projects
Iron Tee Golf in Bettendorf is a new entertainment venue with 58 climate-controlled hitting bays, powered by the TrackMan ball tracking technology. Have fun at the state-of-the-art arcade with high-tech video games, including high-tech mini golf, Lucky Putt. Unwind at multiple bar and lounge areas with delicious food options. Adjacent to this new venue, TBK Bank Sports Complex is expanding with several new multi-sport (Baseball, Softball and Soccer) turf fields.
Critically acclaimed filmmakers (and QC natives) Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have created The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport. The new two-screen movie theater is the home of first-run movies and independent films, film screenings, and events. Coming soon will be a rooftop bar with an outdoor movie screen.
Niabi Zoo has constructed a new African Painted Dog exhibit and under construction is a new Prairie Dog exhibit which will have an extensive underground burrow system.
Amowa Forest Preserve in East Moline is a new 180-acre public park for the community to enjoy outdoor hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping and picnicking. “Amôwa” is the Sauk word for bee. The name ties into the new park’s purpose of providing a habitat for the region's native species, such as the Rusty Patched Bumblebee.
There will be a new urban park underneath the new I-74 bridge in downtown Bettendorf that includes a walkable corridor entwined with decorative rock patterns.
The Quad City Botanical Center in Rock Island is expanding their Children’s Garden with the new Storybook Landscapes. This new experience for guests of all ages features a variety of interactive points to engage with nature through favorite and popular childhood storybooks. It has a shaded picnic area, acting area, story plaza, group reading structure, and more.
The new MLK Park in Davenport will be a community space for gathering, learning, remembrance, and celebration. The entrance will be framed by a large stone arch in the silhouette of Rev. Dr. King and the park will be surrounded by standing displays which will serve as living historical exhibits. The park is just south of where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his only appearance in the Quad Cities in 1965.
In partnership with the YMCA, the City of Bettendorf is building a new 20,000+ sq. ft. state of the art aquatic facility with an activity pool, slide tower, splash deck, lazy river, and ice rink. The first phase is expected to be finished in the early summer.
Arts Alley in Downtown Rock Island is going to be developed into a vibrant urban art gallery and event venue with new signage, lighting, professional murals, interactive art installations, and a space for live performances.
The Riverside Family Aquatic Center in Moline will reopen in Summer 2024 after undergoing a $6.8 million upgrade to now include many updates and improvements including three new water slides, a lazy river, splash pad, new shade structures, updated concessions, nighttime lights, a shared park shelter, and family restrooms.
Main Street Landing is a signature multi-million dollar project for the City of Davenport along its riverfront. Over the next two years, the downtown Davenport riverfront will be developed to include a new space with climbing structures, an interactive water feature, room for winter activities, and additions such as a new restroom facility, colorful LED lighting, shade structures, seating, and unique swing elements.
The Figge Art Museum plans to illuminate their landmark glass building by early 2025, in time for their 100th anniversary. Internationally-acclaimed light artist Leo Villareal is designing an innovative, constantly-changing light sculpture, titled Evanescent Field, that will illuminate all four sides of the building using over 3,000 linear feet of powerful, full-color LED fixtures.
The City of East Moline received a RAISE grant to create a new multi-use trail to connect the downtown to The Bend and The Rust Belt. It will also provide blocks of curbless, accessible “festival” streetscaping building a more flexible and inviting downtown.
The Quad Cities International Airport is getting a $20 million+ facelift in a phased approach. Following is a summary of those changes.
Curbside and Ticketing
A redesigned curbside features a canopy to protect visitors from the elements. Once inside, the terminal will be flooded with bright, natural light. Walkways will be widened in the ticketing space and mobile check-in kiosks will be added. Baggage screening equipment will be moved out of sight with a conveyor belt running behind the ticket counters to speed up the check-in process.
Atrium and TSA Checkpoint
The atrium concept features comfortable lounge seating and a redesigned retail, food and beverage space. The restrooms will be renovated, with the addition of a family restroom and a nursing suite. The TSA checkpoint will be widened so passengers going through the checkpoint as well as those arriving and going to baggage claim have plenty of space.
Indoor/Outdoor Space
While the changes will be dramatic throughout the airport, perhaps the most visually stunning is the plan for an indoor/outdoor space near baggage claim. The garden area concept includes a water feature to evoke the pride Quad Citizens have for the Mississippi River. There will be seating and an outdoor space – something that’s becoming more commonplace for airports as the industry looks toward a post-COVID world. Many Quad Citizens will remember a time when they could come to the airport and watch the planes take off and land. This space will restore a viewing area for all to enjoy.
Airside
The airside of the terminal will see some improvements to connect it to the landside concepts. A nursing suite will be added to the airside of the airport alongside restroom renovations with the addition of another family restroom. Comfortable lounge seating and power sources will be added throughout the concourses.