High-end condos planned for riverfront -QCTimes
Here's a google maps satellite view of the site, between The Boat House and WakeenÂ’s Family Boating Center south of River Drive in Davenport.
This is big news, and I'm sure all of you expect me to say great news.
In some ways, it is great news. An 8 story, $10 million building anywhere in Davenport is good news... usually. Maybe some of the rich condo types that would live in Bettendorf will live and pay taxes in Davenport instead. But...
Basically I feel that they're building this at the foot of Oneida because the people's views who are going to be blocked are generally poor folks who don't get too excited about that sort of thing or vote in large numbers. If they tried to block the rich folks' views, there would be a well-financed riot.
As much as it would be great to have a project like this, I just think it would be even greater built on the current location of GemVision at 4th and River. They're moving to Moline, and River Gulf and Builders are being kicked off the riverfront in favor of greenspace, so a couple years from now there should be a perfect river view. In the 4th and River location, the condos would tie more closely into the progress being made downtown, and with the warehouse district. It would create a bookend at the other end of the sandpit stretching from GemVision to the Davenport Lofts, hopefully sparking new development in that area. Fewer views would be blocked because there are already tall buildings within a few blocks. I'm sure there must be some downside to that location, but I'm not sure what it is.
But... I suppose its still pretty good in the planned location.
6 comments:
I would venture that with the departure of River Gulf in 2007, that this project, along with others, are already on the books. Now if there was a coordinated Riverfront Planning process, those plans may be made clear to the public beyond the occasional Levee Commission hearing. Did anyone else notice that it seemed the Commission was taken by surprise? At this point it doesn't look consistent with the newly adopted Comprehensive Plan for the City of Davenport. I'm thinking that this is the first of many river access giveways on the Davenport Riverfront to set it aside for special interests. The City had a history of preserving the riverfront access for the public. The horrible mistakes made in abidcating the Capri site downtown set in motion this next series of land grabs.
Great points.
What shelley said!
Conservative Demo here:
Yeah, there's something duplicitous in wanting to kick out ugly-but-tax-and-lease/rent-paying readi-mix businesses so "the public would have access to The River" but then allowing expensive apartment buildings to occupy the waterfront.
There goes our access to The River.
Is it any wonder we have become cynical about our representative government? Our representatives need to either say what they mean or mean what they say.
Well... I can't say I completely agree there. While I did write a letter to the editor that was published in the QCTimes opposing the kicking out of River Gulf and Builders, I have somewhat come around on that one.
The main difference to me is that those are on city-owned land, and the condos would be on privately owned land.
I agree that the location was chosen because lower and middle income home owners will be the most affected...people who have invested in the central city before it was "the thing"..it is tragic to block the views of some of the most historical neighborhoods in the city...
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