Statement by Kyle Carter, Executive Director, Downtown Davenport Partnership & VP, Place Management, Quad Cities Chamber

Capital follows talent.  Talent follows place.  Place needs investment. Today, Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced $9.6 million in grant funding investment into a transformational Davenport riverfront project. 

This is our postcard. When you think of Davenport and the Quad Cities, it’s a fact that our Mississippi riverfront and our downtown skylines are how we are, and will always be, defined. It’s in everyone’s best interest that this be a healthy, thriving place – period – no matter how hard it is to do.

This huge $24 million project in the heart of our community is the definition of a “placemaking” investment, making a generational impact on our quality of life and enhancing the likelihood of adjacent business growth, taxbase stability, and most importantly, people choosing to live or visit here. Through intentional and thoughtful coordination, the approval of this Destination Iowa grant provided the last key dollars needed to make what has long been a dream a reality on the riverfront. 

This funding will address train horns blaring and flood mitigation while STILL making the Figge artistically glow like a beacon to be seen for miles up and down the river every night. Families will have a place to play year-round at the foot of our crown jewel, major upgrades to our parkland will happen, and downtown will be an even better destination for commercial investment and residential way of life.

The Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) is deeply proud to be part of the team to make this happen. This project is part of a larger creative placemaking effort and represent 40% of $193 million in public and private investment in the Davenport riverfront area. There are millions more in planned investments and many other exciting projects in the works that will leverage this community asset.   

Without the collective effort of Federal, State, Local, and private donors this would not have been possible. Federal ARPA dollars were wisely applied via the Destination Iowa program to create this opportunity in the first place. Local leadership was on point to leverage those dollars with some of its own - and even tie in the challenges of the railroad, and flood mitigation funding. The DDP, Quad Cities Chamber, Visit Quad Cities, and many others quietly advocated in the background with key decision makers to nudge it all along.  

This is truly a grand slam of collaboration. Official and sincere THANK YOU to Governor Reynolds, IEDA Director Durham, Davenport Mayor Matson and City Council and staff, Congressional ARPA funding, Figge Art Museum, Visit Quad Cities, (and many others) for enabling what ultimately was announced today. 

It’s a proud day to be a Davenporter and Quad Citizen.  And now, more work!

Learn more about the project, here.