The Quad Cities possess a sports facility on the banks of the Mississippi that brings about $1 million per year in tourism into the community, provides families with quality recreational opportunities and acts as a draw for companies looking to relocate to the area. To many readers' surprise, this commentary does not concern John O'Donnell Stadium, but its neighbor, the Quad City Sports Center (QCSC). As the public now focuses on baseball-stadium renovations, the Quad City Sports Center seems to have been ignored at a time when it most needs public and private support. Recent articles suggesting that the QCSC would be unable to meet long-term financing requirements have cast doubt on the viability of the establishment. While its financial crisis has passed, the City of Davenport, the business community, and private citizens need to get behind one of the true jewels of the riverfront: the Quad City Sports Center.
The QCSC, located directly next to John O'Donnell, provides year-round recreational opportunities to Quad Citians and visitors to the community. The QCSC was built in the early-1990s to fill a local need for winter sports. The QCSC hosts the Quad City Hockey Association, the Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities, The Quad City Sled Hockey Association, Palmer College Hockey, and Bix on Ice. Thousands of Quad Cities youngsters and adults benefit year-round from the QCSC's operation. Additionally, the Quad City Mallards use the QCSC for practices.
In addition to providing thousands of Quad Citians with year-round recreational opportunities, the QCSC, as a not-for-profit/charitable organization, hosts more than 200 school groups per year with 75 to 100 children per visit. The QCSC subsidizes these visits to the tune of $20,000 to $25,000 per year. The QCSC also funds $35,000 to $50,000 per year for the Disadvantaged At Risk Youth (DARY) program. Additionally, the Quad City Sled Hockey Association provides a much-needed sports opportunity for individuals with physical limitations.
As the City of Davenport considers spending $10 million on John O'Donnell (a healthy portion of which will be funded with city dollars), the council should consider funding the sports complex in downtown Davenport that provides greater economic benefits to the community. Each year hockey tournaments and figure skating events at the QCSC bring approximately 9,800 out-of-town visitors to the Quad Cities. These visitors - by staying in local hotels, eating at local restaurants, and visiting our malls and retail establishments - bring about $1 million into our community. On average, 350,000 visitors come to the QCSC each year to use its two sheets of ice for hockey, figure, and recreational skating. Approximately 70 percent of those visitors are from Iowa, with 30 percent from Illinois. Four of every 10 visitors live in Davenport. While the Quad Cities should support minor-league baseball and improve John O'Donnell, it cannot be overlooked that in good years the River Bandits do not have annual visitors of 250,000.
Both the QCSC and John O'Donnell sit on land owned by the City of Davenport. With the exception of a $125,000 gift from the City of Davenport in 1994, no city funds have been provided to the QCSC. The QCSC operates as a not-for-profit entity (a 501(c)(3) corporation). The gifts of corporations and individuals, as well as user fees, allow the QSCC to stay in business. A community board, serving as volunteers, makes sure that the QCSC benefits all sectors of the community. Building the QCSC was not cheap. Maintaining two sheets of ice and running the programs described above comes at a large expense. Much of the QCSC's $1 million operating budget must be used to service approximately $2 million in bank debt. Long-term, the center needs the support of the city, local businesses, and private individuals if it is to thrive.
The Quad City Hockey Association, of which I am a board member, provides needed wintertime activities for youth. Of the many sports that my youngsters participate in, hockey provides them with the best workout, team discipline, lessons in sportsmanship, and fun. The youngsters at the center enjoy a safe, non-smoking, alcohol-free environment. The hockey association enforces a strict no-fighting, no-arguing policy. Both the players and their parents must abide by the strict disciplinary rules. People should not confuse the sometimes rough and tumble Mallards-type hockey with the youth activities taking place at the QCSC. As the ice time for hockey already costs parents approximately $400 per year per child, with figure skaters and traveling hockey players paying much more, there's not much room to increase prices without killing the programs. The community would be well off to help these programs grow.
In closing, our community has done wonders to renovate downtown Davenport; much-needed parking ramps are under construction, the Figge Arts Center construction will commence soon, and the revered Redstone building is undergoing a much-needed overhaul. I encourage the City of Davenport to provide assistance to the QCSC. For those in the community who have not attended a public skate or visited the center, please do so. Finally, please consider supporting the QCSC with a charitable contribution. Let's allocate community resources wisely and do what we can to assist one of the community's best attractions get off of "thin ice."
The QCSC, located directly next to John O'Donnell, provides year-round recreational opportunities to Quad Citians and visitors to the community. The QCSC was built in the early-1990s to fill a local need for winter sports. The QCSC hosts the Quad City Hockey Association, the Figure Skating Club of the Quad Cities, The Quad City Sled Hockey Association, Palmer College Hockey, and Bix on Ice. Thousands of Quad Cities youngsters and adults benefit year-round from the QCSC's operation. Additionally, the Quad City Mallards use the QCSC for practices.
In addition to providing thousands of Quad Citians with year-round recreational opportunities, the QCSC, as a not-for-profit/charitable organization, hosts more than 200 school groups per year with 75 to 100 children per visit. The QCSC subsidizes these visits to the tune of $20,000 to $25,000 per year. The QCSC also funds $35,000 to $50,000 per year for the Disadvantaged At Risk Youth (DARY) program. Additionally, the Quad City Sled Hockey Association provides a much-needed sports opportunity for individuals with physical limitations.
As the City of Davenport considers spending $10 million on John O'Donnell (a healthy portion of which will be funded with city dollars), the council should consider funding the sports complex in downtown Davenport that provides greater economic benefits to the community. Each year hockey tournaments and figure skating events at the QCSC bring approximately 9,800 out-of-town visitors to the Quad Cities. These visitors - by staying in local hotels, eating at local restaurants, and visiting our malls and retail establishments - bring about $1 million into our community. On average, 350,000 visitors come to the QCSC each year to use its two sheets of ice for hockey, figure, and recreational skating. Approximately 70 percent of those visitors are from Iowa, with 30 percent from Illinois. Four of every 10 visitors live in Davenport. While the Quad Cities should support minor-league baseball and improve John O'Donnell, it cannot be overlooked that in good years the River Bandits do not have annual visitors of 250,000.
Both the QCSC and John O'Donnell sit on land owned by the City of Davenport. With the exception of a $125,000 gift from the City of Davenport in 1994, no city funds have been provided to the QCSC. The QCSC operates as a not-for-profit entity (a 501(c)(3) corporation). The gifts of corporations and individuals, as well as user fees, allow the QSCC to stay in business. A community board, serving as volunteers, makes sure that the QCSC benefits all sectors of the community. Building the QCSC was not cheap. Maintaining two sheets of ice and running the programs described above comes at a large expense. Much of the QCSC's $1 million operating budget must be used to service approximately $2 million in bank debt. Long-term, the center needs the support of the city, local businesses, and private individuals if it is to thrive.
The Quad City Hockey Association, of which I am a board member, provides needed wintertime activities for youth. Of the many sports that my youngsters participate in, hockey provides them with the best workout, team discipline, lessons in sportsmanship, and fun. The youngsters at the center enjoy a safe, non-smoking, alcohol-free environment. The hockey association enforces a strict no-fighting, no-arguing policy. Both the players and their parents must abide by the strict disciplinary rules. People should not confuse the sometimes rough and tumble Mallards-type hockey with the youth activities taking place at the QCSC. As the ice time for hockey already costs parents approximately $400 per year per child, with figure skaters and traveling hockey players paying much more, there's not much room to increase prices without killing the programs. The community would be well off to help these programs grow.
In closing, our community has done wonders to renovate downtown Davenport; much-needed parking ramps are under construction, the Figge Arts Center construction will commence soon, and the revered Redstone building is undergoing a much-needed overhaul. I encourage the City of Davenport to provide assistance to the QCSC. For those in the community who have not attended a public skate or visited the center, please do so. Finally, please consider supporting the QCSC with a charitable contribution. Let's allocate community resources wisely and do what we can to assist one of the community's best attractions get off of "thin ice."
