Advocates ask Bettendorf to invest $4.3 M in I-80 development -QCTimes
"Seeing an opportunity to create thousands of new jobs, millions of square feet of office and retail space and as many as 10,000 new housing units, the Bettendorf Development Corporation has agreed to ante up $500,000 to expand water and sewer lines to Interstate 80 and Middle Road if the city invests $4.3 million in the project.
Rob Fick, president of the private, non-profit community development organization, and developer Kevin Kellner, who also is a member of the group, told the Bettendorf City Council it is essential to invest a total of $6.8 million worth of improvements to attract high-tech companies in economic sectors such as insurance, health care, finance, multi-nationals and graphic production.
Van Dyke said the project is ripe for grant money because it will create up to 16,500 new office jobs. “The whole crisis with the state is about income tax. Creating new employment creates income tax and helps solve the problem.”I wonder why they stopped at 16,500 jobs? Were 17,000 or 20,000 just too silly? And 10,000 new housing units also seems like a lowball estimate. Surely if all of these acres were covered by 60 story buildings they could fit way more jobs and residential units in than that. After all, the location has such a beautiful view of... nothing, and quick access to the same interstate that every other business/commerce park in the Iowa QC already offers... All it takes a little sprucing up and multinationals will be beating down Bettendorf's door.
This relegates the previous champion of great expectations , former Alderwoman Howard's claim that the Freight House Farmer's Market would create $50+ million in surrounding development, to a distant second place.
Niky Bowles's "best development ever" is sadly knocked down to third place.
22 comments:
QCI,
The thing is, the Bettendorf lap dogs believe all of this. They will pay to extend all utilties and upfront monies so Mel Foster can develop. A sum of 10,000 homes haven't been built in the Iowa Quad Cities in the last 20 years!
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE, DOES ANYONE CARE?
I love the parallelism between sectors like health care and finance and "multinationals."
It's like this was written by a group of fifth graders playing Monopoly.
They are a "Premiere City," you know...
Oh, but in Bettendorf we have a fiber optic network! What a great selling point!
Why does Bettendorf think they are so ahead of competition with this technology?
What this endeavor will create is sprawl, and totally unnecessary.
How about Bettendorf partnering with the other Cities and invest in marketing the existing business parks where services are already in place and development is, as they say, "shovel ready".
Never mind, that would require cooperation.
I agree with 11:00. Nobody wants to cooperate. Everyone is looking out for only themselves. When I was in the local real estate market (sort of), my boss commented that the area could do more if they worked together. It made sense considering the name of the business I was working at the time.
Nitrous55
This Bettendorf development could really help Davenport taxpayers. If it draws all those jobs out of downtown Davenport into Bettendorf, taxpayers will no longer need to dump tax dollars into that Money Pit some call downtown Davenport.
Hey 8:55, how about a big tall tasty glass of STFU?
8:55, try getting a council that wants to stop spending money in the downtown.
Nitrous55
If downtown fails, Davenport fails. I'm not sure why so many people can't understand that. Name a non-suburb city in the US that's succeeding without a vibrant downtown. I certainly can't think of any.
Ames, Iowa?
One could make the argument that Ames proves my point nicely, but I will concede that college towns are a different ball of wax. We are not one, however, so Ames is not all that applicable to our situation.
I don't know, do you think the amenities in nearby downtown Davenport are a selling point for Bettendorf in their marketing strategies? Yeah, I'm sure Bettendorf would love to see downtown Davenport fail.
Off Topic: QCI - I'm eagerly anticipating your blog regarding the North Park market's desire to return to the Riverfront they so proudly left behind.
Ames is not a real City. It is a cow town along with with 40000 people living there only on account of ISU.
Another couple of off-topic questions: When the heck is the construction going to be done on Division and the street re opened?
When is the expansion of the Davenport Airport going to start? The Air Nat'l Guard have been busy with their construction but have not noticed anything at the airport. Thought Sloppertown Road was to be closed and removed and the runways lengthened. Does anyone know anything?
Thanks!
Image is just probably mad because he can not afford a move to Bettendorf and needs to stay in Davenport where a lions share of the crime is. Ah the life of a professional security guard.
Showing why you finished last. Loser.
Images is mad that Davenport has a bunch of whiners that complain about crime, but won't do anything about it. Good thing they weren't in charge 60 years ago.
Nitrous55
They're not in charge now, either.
Cute. Now go stroke Keith's ego so he can waste his time and money on another failed campaign when he thinks he has your support.
I don't see a problem of expanding sewer and water out there. All it can do is expand the tax base. I'd prefer that over Davenport's landscaping on River Drive.
Nitrous55
QCI, I hope you get some great pictures of the big snow storm. I'm in New Orleans for the winter working, and I want to see what I'm (not) missing.
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