Up and down the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities region has been making incremental strides in better utilizing the beloved river from Renew Moline to the Bend to downtown Davenport.
It’s a decades old effort that continues to gain momentum.
We were pleased with the newly announced four-season recreational area called Main Street Landing in downtown Davenport. That 10-acre park will span between Main Street and the roller dams and will feature play areas, water features, a multi-use space for sports and much more. The park could be an accelerator for even more focus and commitment to the Big Muddy.
“It will be one of the premier places in Iowa on Iowa’s front porch. … This will be the beacon of the Midwest,” Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said during a ground-breaking ceremony for Main Street Landing on April 3.
Mainstreet Landing will be part of a series of riverfront improvements expected to cost more than $27 million. Those improvements will include a massive lighting project on the outside of the Figge Art Museum, a pedestrian bridge railroad crossing and other projects near the river.
Moline has been moving forward with a new Moline riverfront plan that focuses on creating a new riverfront area that attracts visitors and offers many amenities to the area bordered by the Mississippi River on the north, Seventh Avenue on the south, 23rd Street on the east and 18th Street on the west.
And other community projects are also leveraging the river, which will inevitably spur more economic development.
One day the river will again become the hallmark of the region and the envy of the nation. We’re not there yet, but these new riverfront investments are moving us in that direction.
EICC’s new chancellor
We welcome Bryan Renfro as the new chancellor at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.
Mr. Renfro, who is currently president of John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, was approved as the new college district leader during the EICC Board of Trustees’s brief special meeting Tuesday morning, April 1.
The new chancellor is expected to take over the EICC leadership role on July 1. (The chancellor position has been open since Sonya J. Williams resigned from the job on Aug. 1, 2023. Liang Chee Wee was named the interim chancellor later that year and still holds that position. Mr. Wee took the temporary position after retiring from North Iowa Area Community College in 2022, where he had served as president.)
Community colleges play a vital role in workforce development, offering accessible and affordable education and training tailored to local job market needs, preparing individuals for in-demand careers and contributing to economic growth.
We want and need Mr. Renfro to be successful.
Special kudos to outgoing Mr. Wee, who came out of retirement to help lead EICC. Mr. Wee is one of the most effective and selfless leaders in the region and state. We wish him the best in retirement.
