Davenport State of City: Mayor praises first responders

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson thanked the heroic efforts of first responders for their help in rescuing people after a downtown apartment building partially collapsed on May 28. He thanked the police, firefighters, medical professionals and others who came to Davenport with only one goal in mind – entering a crumbling building to save the lives […]

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson thanked the heroic efforts of first responders for their help in rescuing people after a downtown apartment building partially collapsed on May 28. He thanked the police, firefighters, medical professionals and others who came to Davenport with only one goal in mind – entering a crumbling building to save the lives of people in need.

1 of 5

“They were only caring about saving folks. … I can’t thank you enough,” Mayor Matson said during his State of the City address Monday afternoon, June 12, at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport. The mayor’s annual address, which attracted several hundred people this year, was part of a Davenport Rotary club meeting. During most State of the City events held previously, the address has almost entirely been devoted to pointing out the success stories of the city and some of its goals for the future. But this year was much different. Mr. Matson used part of his address to discuss two disasters to hit downtown Davenport in recent weeks – the spring flooding and the partial collapse of the apartment building at 324 Main St., known as The Davenport.  That building collapse is an ongoing issue with an investigation in the works, several lawsuits being filed and the launch of the building’s demolition. The demolition work also began Monday and is expected to  take several weeks to complete, according to city officials. In the past couple of weeks, the mayor and other city officials have called the building dangerous and unstable and have said it needs to come down in a controlled manner to prevent other damage and injury. “The city has been engaged with structural engineers, regulatory authorities and a contracting company that have advised when best and how to fully dismantle the partially collapsed building. … This has been a thorough planning process that has considered asbestos removal and the impact on neighboring properties,” according to a statement from the city. During his State of the City, the mayor did not address the demolition work or many of the other aspects of the building issue. But when he began his 2023 address, he asked for a moment of silence to honor the three apartment residents killed in the incident: Branden Colvin Sr., 42; Ryan Hitchcock, 51; and Daniel Prien, 60 – as well as for the many other residents who were injured. “We had a tragedy. … Branden, Ryan and Daniel lost their lives,” Mr. Matson said. Before his address, Bill Churchill, president of the Friends of Veteran Memorial Park, introduced the mayor and praised him for his leadership in dealing with the building collapse, flooding and other disasters that have affected the city recently. Mr. Matson on Monday also praised city staff workers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others for their help in battling this spring’s Mississippi River flooding. Some of the key dates to the flood were: emergency flood plans were activated April 6; the Mississippi River crested at 21.51 feet in the Quad Cities on May 1; the river fell below 18 feet on May 12; and below 13 feet on May 23. “I get to stand in front of you and talk about all the cool things we do,” but city staff members do great work to help the city, the mayor added. Even though he spent some of his address focusing on the emergency responses to the collapse and flooding, the mayor’s speech mostly centered on the success stories and celebrations in Davenport. It was a speech that looked at how the city is moving forward, fixing roads, repairing homes and helping residents. Here is a look at some of the subjects he covered:  

• Road construction: The city has $23 million in summer road work projects. They include 49 arterial and neighborhood streets scheduled to receive work and five alley repair projects. Some of the year’s major road projects include: East 53rd Street Phase 2; Central Park – Cedar to Lincoln; 43rd Street – Linwood to Lincoln; and seven neighborhood street resurfacing projects. Mr. Matson joked that years ago people used to say to him: “When are you going to fix the city?” Now, some complain about the many road projects and barriers. “We’re going to fix more streets,” he added.
• Economic development: The city is in the midst of several major economic projects, including Amazon’s robotic fulfillment center that is expected to open in August and hire 1,000 people. “People said ‘Mike, you’ll never get Amazon’ and then ‘They have a building, but they’ll never staff it.’ They’re hiring now,” he said. 
• New fire station: Construction continues on the new Fire Station 3 at 42nd Street and Welcome Way. The 19,000-square-foot station will feature three emergency response bays, a training tower, police workspace and a community room. The mayor said the new building will be more than a fire station; it will be a “community place.” The new $10 million facility could be in service by the end of this year.
• Other projects: Some other new projects in the works include the Fairmount Community Center, a 4,500-square-foot building near the Davenport Public Library – Fairmount Branch. It will include a half court gym  for sports and other activities, outdoor community event space, and be rentable for community events. The $2.8 million project is expected to be complete next year. Also, the MLK Park is now under construction at 502 Brady St. The park, which could be completed later this year, has been planned by the Friends of MLK group for years. The group raised $1.3 million for the project. Some of the features of the park will include: history panels that will have various themes, such as civil rights history, local pioneers of civil rights and Hispanic heritage themes; a stage to host concerts and speakers; and space for vendors.
• Home projects: The city continues to be involved in efforts to help fix up homes and neighborhoods including the Davenport DREAM Project. It is a neighborhood restoration project that hopes to inspire a renewed interest in the unique architecture and character found in the city’s heritage neighborhoods. So far, there have been 172 projects and $3.2 million spent in four rounds of the DREAM project. The application period for the fifth round of the project will be from Aug. 14 to Sept. 1.
• Main Street Landing: The city also is in the midst of a riverfront development project called the Main Street Landing. The project includes about $24 million in improvements over the next few years. Some of the improvements will include enhanced lighting on the Davenport Skybridge and a massive lighting project on the outside of the Figge Art Museum; installation of a high-intensity, multi-generational experience zone that will include a signature tower structure, slides, climbing assets, an interactive water feature, and a space for winter activities. In addition, it will include creation of a passive activity zone near Lock and Dam 15 that highlights the existing amphi-theater and scenic views; and installation of a railroad quiet zone that will stretch from Marquette to Mound streets to reduce noise pollution and increase safety throughout the downtown riverfront. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2024 and be completed in the spring of 2026.
• Group Violence Intervention (GVI): Launched in May 2022, the city has begun a strategic approach to keep people at highest risk of gun violence safe, alive and out of prison. This program is a $750,0000 investment from the city and a $300,000 investment from the Quad Cities Community Foundation. The program is a focused deterrence approach that focuses on victims and offenders to build trust and provide services and resources that could help save them. It brings together law enforcement, social services and community members to reach people at the highest risk of committing violent crimes. The key message GVI wants to voice is – “We want to see you safe, alive and out of prison,” Dwayne Hodges, a pastor, community organizer and volunteer, instrumental in helping roll out the program, said a few months ago.
• Budget/financial: Mayor Matson said the city is in a strong financial position. Moody’s upgraded the city from Aa3 to Aa2. S&P Global reaffirmed the city at AA. The city’s fiscal year 2024 budget is $242 million.

• Celebrations: The city will host the Quad City Times Bix 7 race and the RAGBRAI bicycle ride across the state on Saturday, July 28. The two events are expected to bring thousands of visitors to Davenport. The city’s “Party in the Park” celebrations will also begin in June with parties set for: June 15 at Lafayette Park; June 22 at Marquette Park; Aug. 10 at Garfield Park; and Aug. 17 at Emeis Park.
• Park improvements: The city is using $2.5 million in  American Rescue Plan Act  (ARPA) funds to make park improvements including: Cork Hill Park, multi-sport courts, upgraded water feature; Dohse Park, replace existing play structure and adding obstacle play feature;  Harbor Road Park, obstacle play feature;  Herington Park, multi-sport court; Lafayette Park, relocation and installation of new play structure; Van Buren Park, multi-sport courts; and Whalen Park, upgraded and new playground.