Lighting up lock, dam to cost $551,000

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By Tory Brecht | Thursday, September 28, 2006 12:56 AM CDT | () comments

Illuminating Lock and Dam 15 — the first substantial project in Davenport and Rock Island’s joint RiverVision plan — will cost just above a half-million dollars, the Davenport Levee Commission heard Wednesday.

Finding funding sources to light up the dam — without dipping into either cities’ coffers — is the next step, said Steve Ahrens, the commission’s recently hired consultant.

“We’re very aware of making each dollar stretch and utilizing private money when we can,” Ahrens said.

Alan Carmen, Rock Island’s planning and redevelopment administrator, said a working sub-committee with members from both Iowa and Illinois will assist the fundraising effort. Both cities have representatives on a RiverVision Steering Committee.

Possibilities include National Endowment for the Arts grants, discretionary funding from the Iowa and Illinois congressional delegations and Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism grants. In addition, Ahrens said he will contact such companies as MidAmerican Energy and Musco Lighting to see if they might be able to assist the project.

Commission member Fred Classon suggested applying for Homeland Security money, saying the city could pitch lighting the dam helps protect against terrorism.

Chairman Kelli Grubbs, however, joked that approach could backfire.

“They might think lighting it up would just show them where to bomb,” she said.

Cost estimates for installation and operating costs were part of a report compiled by RDG Planning and Design of Des Moines, which was hired by the RiverVision committee to design the lighting project.

RDG experimented with different light configurations, colors and areas of emphasis during two mock-ups in May and June. Although much public discussion centered on the “underwhelming” nature of the mock-ups, the lessons learned were valuable, Grubbs said.

“They informed us of where there were holes and where it was lacking,” she said. “We ended up revising the plan, and thank goodness we did it. I think it will look very good.”

Now, both the upstream and downstream sides of the dam will be illuminated, Carmen said. The primary light will be white, with blue accents. That color combination was preferred by the majority of those who commented on the second mock-up, according to the RDG report.

Grubbs said one of the best things to come out of the planning process for the dam lighting project is proof that Davenport and Rock Island can work together. The joint RiverVision plan ultimately calls for an investment of more than $100 million on both riverfronts in multiple projects that will require some complex planning.

“Just to get to this point has not been easy,” said commission member Byrd Krumbholz.

Tory Brecht can be contacted at (563) 383-2329 or tbrecht@qctimes.com

What’s next?

Fundraising efforts will begin in earnest to raise the estimated $551,000 needed to illuminate Lock and Dam 15 between Davenport and Rock Island.

The lighting project is part of the two cities’ RiverVision plan.

Ongoing operating costs likely will be split between the two cities. If the lights were on dusk to dawn, the estimated annual electric bill would be $15,574. If they were on for seven hours a night, the bill would be $9,085.

Source: RDG

Planning and Design