15
Jun
2004
In its effort to capitalize on available state money, the City of Davenport is working quickly to finalize its first phase of the joint Rock Island/Davenport River Vision implementation.
But chasing that money - the city plans to ask for $15 million from Iowa's Vision Iowa and Community Attractions & Tourism (CAT) programs - means the city council probably won't be giving itself or the public much time to study the plan's details, including its financing or a riverfront casino hotel that became part of the discussion only at the tail end of the process.
At a press conference last week, Mayor Charlie Brooke announced the city's letter of intent to apply next month for the state money. But there was a lot of information he couldn't offer: what specifically the $75 million in spending would entail and where the rest of the money would come from.
Because the city plans to submit its Vision Iowa/CAT application next month, the River Vision plan could be in front of the city council as soon as it's finalized, on a fast track to adoption. The irony is that Davenport is hurrying to draft an application because of a deadline that it probably can't meet.
Rock Island, on the other hand, is moving slowly in terms of implementing the riverfront-revitalization plan, without even having prioritized what it would like to do first.
"Yet to Be Determined"
There can be little disagreement that the River Vision process to this point has been deliberate, with multiple meetings soliciting input from the public and stakeholders.
River Vision is a joint effort involving the cities of Davenport and Rock Island as well as DavenportOne, Renaissance Rock Island, River Action, and the Riverboat Development Authority (RDA). The goal is to revitalize the two cities' riverfronts, capitalizing on their inherent strengths and tying them together.
The plan on the Davenport side of the Mississippi involves a "greening" of the levee, while in Rock Island it involves more commercial and residential development on the riverfront, and an effort to draw people to the floodwall with pedestrian walkways. To bring the cities closer together, River Vision would include a water canon in the Mississippi, lighting the lock and dam (similar to the lighting of the Centennial Bridge), and building piers.
The total project cost is estimated at $120 million over 15 to 20 years, said Kirt Rieder, project manager for Hargreaves & Associates, which has developed the plan.
The last public meeting for River Vision was held last month, and Hargreaves & Associates is now finalizing the plan and its accompanying report. The plan will include suggestions for phasing - what components should be undertaken first. Those are expected to include piers extending from Main Street in Davenport and 17th Street in Rock Island, a water canon in-line with those piers, lighting of the lock and dam, and improvements to Centennial and LeClaire parks in Davenport, Rieder said.
Davenport's $75-million first phase would likely include all of those Iowa-side components, although Brooke noted that "the details haven't been firmed up significantly." City officials also said a Davenport-to-Rock Island water taxi might be included in the first phase, along with an eagle watch near the dam.
Davenport City Administrator Craig Malin said last week that the $75-million cost includes a new riverfront hotel for the Rhythm City Casino as "a potential component." On Monday he said the project cost could not reach $75 million without a casino hotel. The May draft plan from Hargreaves includes a commercial building on the riverfront near the end of Brady Street. Another site discussed for a hotel has been the site of the Dock restaurant at the end of Perry Street.
But at this point there's been no determination that a new riverfront hotel even makes sense for the Isle of Capri, let alone whether it's consistent with city goals or the River Vision plan for the levee. The city council earlier this month agreed to pay $10,000 of a $33,500 study by HVS Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Consulting to determine the need for a riverfront hotel and accompanying parking deck. That study won't even be ready until mid-July.
The $75-million Vision Iowa/CAT figure would only include projects the city knows for certain will happen, either because it's secured private investment or is willing to "backstop" the development if other funding can't be found. A Vision Iowa application represents a commitment by the city to complete the project as described. Hence, some planned projects - such as improvements on the Rock Island side of the river or the lighting of the lock and dam (which would be a federal project) - won't be included in the application.
With so many details to be worked out, it's reasonable to ask why the City of Davenport is in such a hurry to submit a Vision Iowa/CAT application. For one thing, Vision Iowa has always said that it wants to be the last money in - the final piece of the financing puzzle, after the developer has exhausted all other possible funding sources.
But at this point, no funding has been committed to River Vision. The Riverboat Development Authority has an agreement in principle to give River Vision projects $5 million over 10 years, said Mary Ellen Chamberlin, president of the organization and also a member of the Vision Iowa Board. But that money isn't assigned to any specific projects.
Malin said the city doesn't yet know what kind of money it will have available for River Vision projects. Some components, such as a skate park, are already in the city's Capital Improvement Project budget. But funding beyond that "is yet to be determined."
Chamberlin said the goal is to get the application to the Vision Iowa board by July 1. While there are no deadlines for Vision Iowa applications, the CAT program considers proposals on a quarterly basis, and the next deadline is July 1.
"That's a very ambitious goal," Malin said. "Mary Ellen has suggested we have an application in by the next Vision Iowa board meeting [July 9], and I don't think that's going to happen."
So what's the rush?
"I'm trying to move with all deliberate speed," Malin said. "There's no hurry ... but to get something done in a timely manner." He added that the letter of intent's July target gives the city six weeks to put together its application.
Last Money in?
Certainly some of the urgency comes from a limited pool of money. Vision Iowa has only $14 million left, and two other communities - Burlington and Cedar Rapids - are entering negotiations with the state board for funding. (They've requested a combined $21 million.) The CAT program has roughly $75 million to spend over the next six years, and Davenport could receive up to $4 million a year. Because both programs give out money on a first-come-first-served basis, the earlier Davenport gets an application in, the better.
Vision Iowa Program Manager Nichole Warren said there are presently 40 pending applications for CAT money. When asked whether Davenport should hurry to turn in its application because of limited money, she said, "I would say no, because the program has six years of funding." In addition, "I don't expect CAT to spend all that $12 million [its allocation for the fiscal year that starts July 1] in the next month."
In addition, the board that oversees both the Vision Iowa and CAT programs is known for its rigorous reviews of applications. And it has also been adamant that communities prove that their projects could not go forward without the state assistance. An application that's more timely than thorough could suffer.
Chamberlin said that if the Vision Iowa board decides to give money to Davenport - most likely after several months of discussion and consideration - she expects that the city will have its financing details worked out. "By the time it [Vision Iowa/CAT funds] goes in, it would be the last money in," she said.
But Malin's perspective on the state money is different. He said that the Vision Iowa board might look at funding as a spur to other funding, rather than the cash that finishes a deal. "The Vision Iowa money will be a catalyst," he said.
Obviously, the public and city council have had plenty of opportunity to look at and comment on the various River Vision components. But developing concepts and vetting the details are two very different things. And the city of Davenport appears to be moving forward with a lot of questions unanswered.
Before an application to Vision Iowa/CAT can be completed, the city council must approve the plan. And a Vision Iowa application represents a commitment from the applying body. Chamberlin noted that once a Vision Iowa/CAT application is submitted, it can't be scaled back because of a funding gap. If, for instance, Vision Iowa and CAT give Davenport $10 million instead of $15, the city would still be obligated to complete its River Vision projects as outlined in the application.
For that reason, the city council must take the time to ensure that it's willing to follow through with the funding obligations triggered by the application. Right now, it looks as if the city's cart (the project) is well ahead of its horse (the money to pay for it).
While many aspects of the plan have gotten a lot of public discussion, the riverfront hotel has not. Kathy Wine, executive director of River Action, said she's been happy with the process and, "having not seen the final draft, everyone is optimistic at this point." But she said she wished the Isle of Capri, which owns the Rhythm City Casino, or city leaders had "introduced the hotel at an earlier point." Because it became part of the discussion before the final public meeting, there have been no drawings of how a hotel might fit in with the rest of the plan, she said.
"It is ill-advised to start the River Vision development with disagreement about the hotel," said Karl Rhomberg, a member of the city's levee commission. "Everyone seems in agreement about the broad plan. It [the hotel] seems to imperil the whole notion of community. ... No one had ever suggested it at any point in the public-input phase."
Because the hotel component hasn't gotten the same level of public scrutiny as other parts of River Vision, Rhomberg added, it should be discussed fully and openly once details - such as a firm location, size, and configuration - are finalized. "If the hotel is sited as an element of the final plan, there would need to be public hearings on that specifically," he said.
Rhomberg also suggested that the Isle of Capri is driving the River Vision process right now, rather than the city council or Hargreaves.
The hotel idea "definitely came from the casino," Hargreaves' Rieder said. Still, he said, he views the development as a potentially "fantastic catalyst." A key component of the River Vision plan is the "greening" of the riverfront, but that would require the removal of a large amount of surface parking. Because Isle of Capri has said it wants to pair a parking garage with its hotel, that component could replace existing parking on the riverfront. "That really helps push the process forward," he said.
But Hargreaves is also asking the city to demand that the hotel conform to certain specifications: that it be set back 50 feet from the riverfront, that it not obstruct north-south views from the streets, and that it be a tall building rather than a wide one.
And at the May public meeting, Hargreaves President Mary Margaret Jones said the city should require the casino to pay for the parking garage, according to the Quad-City Times.
The city council has to sign off on the River Vision plan as well as a Vision Iowa/CAT application. Details of a development agreement with the Isle of Capri about the riverfront hotel and parking garage would also need to be worked out. That's a lot of public discussion that needs to happen in a short period of time if the city is hell-bent on finishing its funding request in July.
"The problem with Davenport government is transparency," Rhomberg said. "Things just seem to pop out of a hat, and it's a fait accompli."
Meanwhile, in Rock Island ...
Rock Island is a marked contrast to Davenport. "We're waiting for the final plan to come forward ... to figure out what our priorities are, short term and long terms," said City Manager John C. Phillips. When the final report is turned in, "that's when the discussion will begin."
Obviously, the city doesn't have a funding source to create a sense of urgency, but even beyond that it looks as if it will take its time. Phillips said he expects the council to discuss funding this fall as it develops its capital-improvement budget.
He noted that Rock Island gets about $4 million a year from Jumer's Casino Rock Island that's not earmarked for a specific purpose, but the city will have to balance River Vision with other priorities, such as industrial development in the southwest part of the city. He said the council sees River Vision as important, but faced with limited resources, "I don't know how it's going to stack up."
That's definitely different than in Davenport, where the city is pushing River Vision hard and fast. It's probably unreasonable for the city to take as much time as Rock Island given Vision Iowa and CAT. But Rhomberg said the city should slow the process to accommodate public discussion, particularly about the hotel: "This is not something we should be running toward, but walking slowly toward."
At a press conference last week, Mayor Charlie Brooke announced the city's letter of intent to apply next month for the state money. But there was a lot of information he couldn't offer: what specifically the $75 million in spending would entail and where the rest of the money would come from.
Because the city plans to submit its Vision Iowa/CAT application next month, the River Vision plan could be in front of the city council as soon as it's finalized, on a fast track to adoption. The irony is that Davenport is hurrying to draft an application because of a deadline that it probably can't meet.
Rock Island, on the other hand, is moving slowly in terms of implementing the riverfront-revitalization plan, without even having prioritized what it would like to do first.
"Yet to Be Determined"
There can be little disagreement that the River Vision process to this point has been deliberate, with multiple meetings soliciting input from the public and stakeholders.
River Vision is a joint effort involving the cities of Davenport and Rock Island as well as DavenportOne, Renaissance Rock Island, River Action, and the Riverboat Development Authority (RDA). The goal is to revitalize the two cities' riverfronts, capitalizing on their inherent strengths and tying them together.
The plan on the Davenport side of the Mississippi involves a "greening" of the levee, while in Rock Island it involves more commercial and residential development on the riverfront, and an effort to draw people to the floodwall with pedestrian walkways. To bring the cities closer together, River Vision would include a water canon in the Mississippi, lighting the lock and dam (similar to the lighting of the Centennial Bridge), and building piers.
The total project cost is estimated at $120 million over 15 to 20 years, said Kirt Rieder, project manager for Hargreaves & Associates, which has developed the plan.
The last public meeting for River Vision was held last month, and Hargreaves & Associates is now finalizing the plan and its accompanying report. The plan will include suggestions for phasing - what components should be undertaken first. Those are expected to include piers extending from Main Street in Davenport and 17th Street in Rock Island, a water canon in-line with those piers, lighting of the lock and dam, and improvements to Centennial and LeClaire parks in Davenport, Rieder said.
Davenport's $75-million first phase would likely include all of those Iowa-side components, although Brooke noted that "the details haven't been firmed up significantly." City officials also said a Davenport-to-Rock Island water taxi might be included in the first phase, along with an eagle watch near the dam.
Davenport City Administrator Craig Malin said last week that the $75-million cost includes a new riverfront hotel for the Rhythm City Casino as "a potential component." On Monday he said the project cost could not reach $75 million without a casino hotel. The May draft plan from Hargreaves includes a commercial building on the riverfront near the end of Brady Street. Another site discussed for a hotel has been the site of the Dock restaurant at the end of Perry Street.
But at this point there's been no determination that a new riverfront hotel even makes sense for the Isle of Capri, let alone whether it's consistent with city goals or the River Vision plan for the levee. The city council earlier this month agreed to pay $10,000 of a $33,500 study by HVS Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Consulting to determine the need for a riverfront hotel and accompanying parking deck. That study won't even be ready until mid-July.
The $75-million Vision Iowa/CAT figure would only include projects the city knows for certain will happen, either because it's secured private investment or is willing to "backstop" the development if other funding can't be found. A Vision Iowa application represents a commitment by the city to complete the project as described. Hence, some planned projects - such as improvements on the Rock Island side of the river or the lighting of the lock and dam (which would be a federal project) - won't be included in the application.
With so many details to be worked out, it's reasonable to ask why the City of Davenport is in such a hurry to submit a Vision Iowa/CAT application. For one thing, Vision Iowa has always said that it wants to be the last money in - the final piece of the financing puzzle, after the developer has exhausted all other possible funding sources.
But at this point, no funding has been committed to River Vision. The Riverboat Development Authority has an agreement in principle to give River Vision projects $5 million over 10 years, said Mary Ellen Chamberlin, president of the organization and also a member of the Vision Iowa Board. But that money isn't assigned to any specific projects.
Malin said the city doesn't yet know what kind of money it will have available for River Vision projects. Some components, such as a skate park, are already in the city's Capital Improvement Project budget. But funding beyond that "is yet to be determined."
Chamberlin said the goal is to get the application to the Vision Iowa board by July 1. While there are no deadlines for Vision Iowa applications, the CAT program considers proposals on a quarterly basis, and the next deadline is July 1.
"That's a very ambitious goal," Malin said. "Mary Ellen has suggested we have an application in by the next Vision Iowa board meeting [July 9], and I don't think that's going to happen."
So what's the rush?
"I'm trying to move with all deliberate speed," Malin said. "There's no hurry ... but to get something done in a timely manner." He added that the letter of intent's July target gives the city six weeks to put together its application.
Last Money in?
Certainly some of the urgency comes from a limited pool of money. Vision Iowa has only $14 million left, and two other communities - Burlington and Cedar Rapids - are entering negotiations with the state board for funding. (They've requested a combined $21 million.) The CAT program has roughly $75 million to spend over the next six years, and Davenport could receive up to $4 million a year. Because both programs give out money on a first-come-first-served basis, the earlier Davenport gets an application in, the better.
Vision Iowa Program Manager Nichole Warren said there are presently 40 pending applications for CAT money. When asked whether Davenport should hurry to turn in its application because of limited money, she said, "I would say no, because the program has six years of funding." In addition, "I don't expect CAT to spend all that $12 million [its allocation for the fiscal year that starts July 1] in the next month."
In addition, the board that oversees both the Vision Iowa and CAT programs is known for its rigorous reviews of applications. And it has also been adamant that communities prove that their projects could not go forward without the state assistance. An application that's more timely than thorough could suffer.
Chamberlin said that if the Vision Iowa board decides to give money to Davenport - most likely after several months of discussion and consideration - she expects that the city will have its financing details worked out. "By the time it [Vision Iowa/CAT funds] goes in, it would be the last money in," she said.
But Malin's perspective on the state money is different. He said that the Vision Iowa board might look at funding as a spur to other funding, rather than the cash that finishes a deal. "The Vision Iowa money will be a catalyst," he said.
Obviously, the public and city council have had plenty of opportunity to look at and comment on the various River Vision components. But developing concepts and vetting the details are two very different things. And the city of Davenport appears to be moving forward with a lot of questions unanswered.
Before an application to Vision Iowa/CAT can be completed, the city council must approve the plan. And a Vision Iowa application represents a commitment from the applying body. Chamberlin noted that once a Vision Iowa/CAT application is submitted, it can't be scaled back because of a funding gap. If, for instance, Vision Iowa and CAT give Davenport $10 million instead of $15, the city would still be obligated to complete its River Vision projects as outlined in the application.
For that reason, the city council must take the time to ensure that it's willing to follow through with the funding obligations triggered by the application. Right now, it looks as if the city's cart (the project) is well ahead of its horse (the money to pay for it).
While many aspects of the plan have gotten a lot of public discussion, the riverfront hotel has not. Kathy Wine, executive director of River Action, said she's been happy with the process and, "having not seen the final draft, everyone is optimistic at this point." But she said she wished the Isle of Capri, which owns the Rhythm City Casino, or city leaders had "introduced the hotel at an earlier point." Because it became part of the discussion before the final public meeting, there have been no drawings of how a hotel might fit in with the rest of the plan, she said.
"It is ill-advised to start the River Vision development with disagreement about the hotel," said Karl Rhomberg, a member of the city's levee commission. "Everyone seems in agreement about the broad plan. It [the hotel] seems to imperil the whole notion of community. ... No one had ever suggested it at any point in the public-input phase."
Because the hotel component hasn't gotten the same level of public scrutiny as other parts of River Vision, Rhomberg added, it should be discussed fully and openly once details - such as a firm location, size, and configuration - are finalized. "If the hotel is sited as an element of the final plan, there would need to be public hearings on that specifically," he said.
Rhomberg also suggested that the Isle of Capri is driving the River Vision process right now, rather than the city council or Hargreaves.
The hotel idea "definitely came from the casino," Hargreaves' Rieder said. Still, he said, he views the development as a potentially "fantastic catalyst." A key component of the River Vision plan is the "greening" of the riverfront, but that would require the removal of a large amount of surface parking. Because Isle of Capri has said it wants to pair a parking garage with its hotel, that component could replace existing parking on the riverfront. "That really helps push the process forward," he said.
But Hargreaves is also asking the city to demand that the hotel conform to certain specifications: that it be set back 50 feet from the riverfront, that it not obstruct north-south views from the streets, and that it be a tall building rather than a wide one.
And at the May public meeting, Hargreaves President Mary Margaret Jones said the city should require the casino to pay for the parking garage, according to the Quad-City Times.
The city council has to sign off on the River Vision plan as well as a Vision Iowa/CAT application. Details of a development agreement with the Isle of Capri about the riverfront hotel and parking garage would also need to be worked out. That's a lot of public discussion that needs to happen in a short period of time if the city is hell-bent on finishing its funding request in July.
"The problem with Davenport government is transparency," Rhomberg said. "Things just seem to pop out of a hat, and it's a fait accompli."
Meanwhile, in Rock Island ...
Rock Island is a marked contrast to Davenport. "We're waiting for the final plan to come forward ... to figure out what our priorities are, short term and long terms," said City Manager John C. Phillips. When the final report is turned in, "that's when the discussion will begin."
Obviously, the city doesn't have a funding source to create a sense of urgency, but even beyond that it looks as if it will take its time. Phillips said he expects the council to discuss funding this fall as it develops its capital-improvement budget.
He noted that Rock Island gets about $4 million a year from Jumer's Casino Rock Island that's not earmarked for a specific purpose, but the city will have to balance River Vision with other priorities, such as industrial development in the southwest part of the city. He said the council sees River Vision as important, but faced with limited resources, "I don't know how it's going to stack up."
That's definitely different than in Davenport, where the city is pushing River Vision hard and fast. It's probably unreasonable for the city to take as much time as Rock Island given Vision Iowa and CAT. But Rhomberg said the city should slow the process to accommodate public discussion, particularly about the hotel: "This is not something we should be running toward, but walking slowly toward."
