Efforts grow to draw, keep young leaders

Font Size:

By Jennifer DeWitt | Wednesday, May 3, 2006 12:47 AM CDT | () comments

Across the Illinois Quad-Cities, revitalization efforts and new developments are putting the region on track to assume its role in the new global economy. But more efforts are needed to attract and retain a younger work force to continue the success.

That was the message Tuesday as the Illinois Quad-City mayors and their representatives offered the first-ever “State of the Community Address” to more than 140 business and community leaders. Hosted by the Illinois Quad-City Chamber, the group gathered at The Mark of the Quad-Cities in Moline.

The event is an outgrowth of the Blueprint 2010, the region’s strategy for unified growth, launched two years ago by the chamber and the Illinois Quad-City communities.

Speaking on behalf of the mayors, Rock Island County Board Chairman Jim Bohnsack outlined the successes the Illinois Quad-Cities has seen as well as new projects in the works. “I am pleased to report that the state of our community is sound,” said Bohnsack, who has been on the county board since 1992 and chairman since 2002. “What’s more, I believe, we are on the brink of our greatest age yet.”

“Over the past 15 years, we have seen a number of meaningful projects go from the conceptual phase to the drawing board to the construction phase adding to our region’s quality of life,” he said.

Among the examples are The Mark, John Deere Commons and Bass Street Landing in Moline, which have led to millions of dollars in downtown revitalization. In East Moline, its downtown corridor has begun to see progress of its own with its development of the Great River Industrial Park and MetroLINK’s new East Pointe Station.

In Rock Island, the downtown corridor along Third Avenue has seen $10 million in new investment in recent years. That city also leads the way in downtown housing. Silvis counts developments such as Semri Park, Deere Ridge Villas and the Lighthouse Addition among its successes, he said, adding “The new Hynd Farm project will include 70 acres of land for future residential and commercial development.”

Despite real successes in improving the region’s housing stock, Bohnsack said Rock Island County can no longer afford to be stagnant in its housing growth. The county continues to lag behind Scott County, where more than 10,000 new households have been added over the past 25 years, he said.

On the transportation front, the Quad-City International Airport continues to break passenger records and the new West Rock River Bridge promises to drive more development to the Illinois side of the river. “This will bring millions of dollars of new investment to our region,” he said.

Flanked by Moline mayor Don Welvaert, East Moline mayor John Thodos, Rock Island city manager John Phillips and Silvis city administrator Jim Grafton, Bohnsack said the amenities together are creating a quality of life that will help the region in its quest to attract young professionals. The chamber’s Young Professional’s Network, or YPN, which has grown to 1,100 members, is helping to bring young professionals together and connect them to the community.

In a question and answer period, city leaders were quizzed about how they are involving young professionals. A few said they now have an emphasis on filling board and commission vacancies with younger business professionals.

Recruiting a younger work force has been an uphill battle for the Quad-Cities, but it is an issue that must be addressed and one that has their attention.

Bohnsack said this is a critical issue because “This shrinking pool of younger workers makes it harder for local businesses to expand and hinders our ability to attract new companies to set up shop here.”

East Moline’s Thodos said the proposed Triumph Foods pork processing plant is one of the ways his city is creating opportunities for young workers. Though not a done deal, he said the project will create hundreds of new skilled and unskilled jobs, many of which could be filled by the younger generation.

City officials have said Triumph now is considering other cities for the pork processing plant. But after Tuesday’s event, Thodos said “I have a lot of confidence that East Moline still is the right place for Triumph Foods. We’re working diligently to bring it here.”

Bohnsack pointed out that economic development remains a major issue and regional cooperation is helping reinvent the methods. “We must learn that we cannot keep doing the same things in the same ways and expect a different result.”

He said the proposed expansion of Western Illinois University’s new Quad-City campus should be priority No. 1. “Our region has the opportunity to build on a strong network of high-quality and prestigious colleges and universities … However, we know there remains a great need for affordable, public higher education.”

The project, planned for Moline’s River Drive, would bring 600 jobs, have an economic impact of more than $128 million and create hundreds of construction jobs.

“Although this campus will be located in Moline, it represents a vital resource that will foster growth throughout the region,” Bohnsack said.

Rick Baker, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer, said the “State of the Community Address” was designed to “keep the focus on us growing as a region.” It also was a chance to look back and celebrate these successes.

“As a community, a lot of time we’re focused on what’s coming up and we forget to celebrate the successes,’’ he said.

Jennifer DeWitt can be contacted at (563) 383-2318 or jdewitt@qctimes.com.