A Missed Opportunity
The Blackhawk Hotel had its grand opening tonight. This may come as a surprise to those of you who aren't on the Who's Who of Davenport list, because not only was this event not publicized, it was apparently not even public. The QCTimes has a photo gallery that refers to it as a private event. The spotlights shining up into the sky outside the hotel should have had dollar signs in them; kind of like the bat signal for rich people.
Why in the world did Restoration St. Louis and the City of Davenport not take the opportunity to show off the biggest project in years in downtown Davenport? Why didn't they invite in all the naysayers and downtown deniers to see what we're really capable of? Why continue the myth that there are 2 kinds of things downtown: Stuff for "6th ward people" like the Figge and symphony concerts, and stuff for the "homeless people" that some folks believe are standing on every corner downtown? That is far from the truth, of course. Downtown has something for everyone from John Deere enthusiasts, jazz lovers, Broadway show-enjoyers, bar patrons, park-lovers, artists, musicians, business travelers, families, and everyone else. Unfortunately, rather than invite everyone from all walks of life to come down and see the newest big thing in Davenport, the Blackhawk chose exclusivity over publicity.
How are we supposed to change peoples' views of downtown if we don't let them in?
posted by QuadCityImages @ 3:08 AM
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