The location of the proposed "High-Technology" park at I-80 and Middle Road in BettendorfBetter than....
The Iowa Research Commerce and Technology Park at I-80 and Highway 61 in Davenport. (Click picture for full size image)
Or...
Davenport's controversial Eastern Iowa Industrial Center at I-80 and Northwest Blvd in Davenport. (Click picture for full size image)
Answer... it's High-Tech!
Actually I don't know why its supposed to be better. From what I've read it's going to be very attractive, so I assume it will have a lake with fountains and such, and possibly more ugly sculptures than the IRCT.
The EIIC has 2 main tenants: a John Deere parts warehouse and the Scott Community College Blong Technology Center. It isn't exactly sporting a No Vacancy sign, but that is supposed to change when it gets its new federal pork-sponsored rail spur.
The IRCT has a baby-Hummer dealership, the corporate headquarters of a dairy, and one other non-descript industry. Plenty of room to grow.
Both existing industrial parks make use of pointless boulevards, and both are literally within yards of Interstate 80. Both sites are also conveniently located near strip clubs, although I didn't know that was that attractive to businesses. The proposed Bettendorf development will also be near I-80, and closer to Illinois, but arguably farther away from everything else. Is Bettendorf that much more business-friendly that corporate headquarters are going to leave dust clouds in their haste to move there if only they had a High-Technology Park to move into? Even without a rail spur or a strip club?
2 comments:
Part of Davenport's malaise comes from a lack of vision and understanding of the new economy. A simple move, like covering the area in a Wi Fi cloud would send a stronger signal to industry and high-technology then building new office and industrial parks. Yet, the solution eludes most of the area development folks, including the Quad City Development Group and Thom Hart. Racing to the bottom, in an attempt to seize any job that comes along, doesn't allow for much long-term, strategic thinking.
I suppose he does deserve credit for attracting the most sophisticated meat processing facility in the world to the area.
"...federal pork-sponsored rail spur?"
Oh, come on! I wish the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad would be able to build it with their own funds but environmental impact statements, real estate prices and NIMBY-induced litigation tend to be a financial drain. The EIIC lost a distribution center to Waterloo, Iowa because it didn't have rail service. Enough said!
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