Riverfront plan looks promising to board

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By Tory Brecht | Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:06 AM CDT | () comments

Davenport’s ambitious riverfront redevelopment plan looks promising to decision-makers on the Vision Iowa Board, according to chairman Andy Anderson.

But negotiations on the city’s request for almost $14 million in state Community Attraction and Tourism, or CAT, funds were held up by questions about City Administrator Craig Malin’s future and political squabbling over what to include in the application.

“I put on my jeans and running shoes one day and went to Davenport without telling anyone and spent a couple hours walking the riverfront and thinking about what we’d want to do as a board,” Anderson said, referring to a midsummer visit to this side of the state. “About a week after that, the whole fiasco (involving Malin’s alleged breach of contract) broke out.”

Since then, the board has taken a wait-and-see attitude as Davenport officials regroup and reorganize.

“We’ve been invited to the table, and now we need to pull up a chair,” fundraising consultant Steve Ahrens told the city’s levee commission.

Ahrens and Mayor Ed Winborn briefed the commission on their plan to create a CAT Grant Task Force, which will be asked to refine the grant application and strengthen the city’s negotiating position.

On the table are requests for $10 million for construction of Centennial Park, $2.8 million toward a public pier, and $1 million toward festival grounds on the downtown waterfront. Removed from the application was a controversial $600,000 for a public market in the riverfront Freight House business.

Anderson said the task force is a good concept, considering Davenport’s request is by far the largest pending before the board.

At $13.8 million, it is so large it would have to be parceled out over several years, as the board is authorized to disburse $12 million in CAT grants each year through 2010.

“What we need to see is who can speak with authority for the city and the council,” Anderson said. “We need the business community to come forward and form a partnership so we can figure out how to get the riverfront done, get downtown housing going, and ignite the downtown so it can be self-sustaining.”

Local matching funds and evidence of broad-based community support are the most critical elements the board members need to see if they are to award a grant, Anderson said.

He said any private development — such as an investor converting the old Salvation Army building on River Drive into housing, for example — would go a long way toward convincing the board to give Davenport money.

“What we want to see is that first rung along the park develop into downtown housing,” he said.

“Why put all this money into the park if there are not people to use it on a daily basis? I think the more (Davenport officials) can identify who is going to help lead and spearhead this effort, the better (they) are. Someone has to step up to make this thing happen.”

Winborn said he’s hopeful the task force will be able to identify some private developments as well as city projects that will count toward the desired community matching funds. The city has just over $16 million programmed into future capital improvement budgets for riverfront projects.

“There’s a big difference between applying for a CAT grant and finding the will to put in the matching money,” Winborn said. “The council is divided on a number of issues, but I do think we’re united on our desire to develop the riverfront.”

Anderson said there is no timeline on the negotiations. He said it is in Davenport’s best interest to take its time and organize its pitch.

“The fact is, you have to negotiate with people who can cut a deal with you, especially when it’s such a big one,” he said. “They’ve got to tell us why that $14 million is needed.”

Asked to join the force

The following people will be asked to join the Community Attraction and Tourism grant task force:

Davenport Mayor Ed Winborn

Kelli Grubbs, chairman of the Davenport Levee Commission

Fred Classon, levee commission member

Shawn Hamerlinck, 2nd Ward alderman

Ian Frink, alderman at-large

Cal Warner or Mark Schwab, downtown development partnership

Kathy Wine, Davenport Riverfront Task Force

Jack Bruchman, Davenport Riverfront Task Force

Jo Souder Vandecar, citizen at-large

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