Gates Thomas and Angel Matias love their 10th floor apartment in downtown Davenport. They love the history behind the Davenport Bank Building Apartments and they especially love the views. “You can look outside to the river and see Muscatine on a clear day,” said Mr. Thomas, who is a composer and associate professor at the […]
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Gates Thomas and Angel Matias love their 10th floor apartment in downtown Davenport. They love the history behind the Davenport Bank Building Apartments and they especially love the views.
“You can look outside to the river and see Muscatine on a clear day,” said Mr. Thomas, who is a composer and associate professor at the Berklee College of Music, Boston.
Mr. Thomas said another perk of the apartment is that it gives him the room and privacy to work on his music.
Why live in downtown Davenport? For many people, it’s that impressive view of the river or room to work and live. For others, it’s the downtown life, and being close to favorite stores and activities. And sometimes, it’s even the price for rent.
Whatever the reason, one thing seems to be clear: downtown Davenport continues to attract new residents to its apartments, lofts and condos. And judging by the number of new apartment projects in the works, a lot more people are going to be calling downtown Davenport home in the coming months.
According to the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), which is a division of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, there are some 250 businesses, more than 1,500 apartments and 7,000 employees working in the downtown area.
“It’s a quality of life matter; it’s a lifestyle choice. People want to experience living in the downtown area,” said Kyle Carter, DDP executive director.
Mr. Carter, whose job includes promoting downtown as a place to live, work and play, added that he is pleased with the influx of new apartment development projects. He recently returned from a national housing convention at which the main message was: If you haven’t started converting your community’s older buildings into apartments, you better start now.
“This is a continuation of what we’ve been seeing for the last 10 years. We have been ahead of the national curve on this trend,” he said.
In this report, the QCBJ takes a look at many of those apartment/loft projects currently in progress, being renovated, recently completed or about to begin construction in the downtown area.
The Davenport Bank Building Apartments at 220 N. Main St. is part of that trend of converting older buildings into new housing. The former bank building dates back to 1927 and is already home to 30 apartments. But an expansion project in progress will add another 30 apartments to the building.
That renovation project should be ready by April, building owner Rodney Blackwell said. He added that his tenants are attracted to the downtown building because they love the river views and the nightlife. And that love for downtown events is not limited to young professionals.
“We have quite the mix; it’s from 24 to 75 (years old). … It’s more older than younger,” he said.
For at least some tenants, the attraction to the Davenport Bank Building Apartments also is about connecting to community and family history.
Mr. Thomas, who has lived in the building about 18 months, said his father was an attorney and worked in the bank building for more than 40 years. “So for me, being here is personal and nostalgic,” he added.
Another older building getting new life in downtown Davenport is the historic Kahl Building at 326 W. Third St. That high-rise building is currently being transformed into the Kahl Lofts.
Joe Marone, president of Pioneer Property Management, the Platteville, Wis.-based management company that works with the Kahl’s developer, said the lofts should be ready for renters in about three months.
When done, there will be a total of 64 units of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in the $20 million renovation project.
Even though the building won’t be ready for a few more months, there has already been great anticipation from would-be renters. Pioneer has started an “interest list” with more than 300 people signed up.
“We have a plethora of individuals on that list; we have young people right out of school to people who are retired and want to enjoy the downtown life,” Mr. Marone added.
The Kahl Lofts will be classified as affordable housing with rents ranging from $755 for a one-bedroom to $1,200 for a two-bedroom.
But Mr. Marone adds that the interest among residents is not just an economic one. People want to live in downtown Davenport because it has been turned into a lively place.
“The city has done a great job of developing the area and creating things people want to do,” he added.
Additionally, other old buildings in downtown Davenport are getting set to welcome new renters. Andrew Wold is owner of the Roosevelt Apartments at 307 W. 6th St., and the Davenport Apartments at 324 N. Main St. Both renovation projects are currently in progress and should be ready for renters in the near future.
The Roosevelt will have 35 units and should be ready by late spring or early summer. The Davenport will have 81 units and is scheduled to be complete this summer, Mr. Wold said.
“They’re going to be just beautiful.”
He added that both buildings have already attracted great interest from prospective future renters. They include younger people who are interested in being close to the downtown nightlife to older residents looking forward to being closer to their favorite restaurants.
But for others, the building boom in downtown Davenport is giving them a chance to live in new apartments in new buildings. For instance, the 400 River apartment building at 400 W. River Drive, as it name suggests, is under construction and expected to be complete in March.
Maureen Linaberry, property management with Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors, said 400 River has been getting plenty of attention. “It’s not just young professionals. We are getting interest from everybody,” she said.
One of the building’s main features will be a modern and open air, green rooftop with downtown views as well as lounge areas with two TVs and fire bowls, grill with dining and bar space and workout area, according to the 400 River website.
That 5,000-square-foot rooftop will overlook LeClaire Park and Modern Woodmen Park.
“When you are on that roof, it’s just beautiful,” added Ms. Linaberry.
Urbane210 is another new project now open at 210 E. Second St. The new building with 56 apartments, and commercial space on the first floor welcomed its first renters in August. It now is at 75% occupancy, according to information from the Urbane210 management team.
“Tenants appreciate the efficient floor plans and contemporary finishes that our design team has incorporated into the property. Urbane210 is a short walk away to downtown Davenport’s great restaurants,” added the management team.
Urbane210 is a development of Merge Urban Development Group, Madison, Wisconsin.
But downtown living also can come with a price. The rents at the new 400 River and Urbane210 begin at about $1,000 a month for the smallest units.
In addition to the Kahl Lofts, there is at least one new apartment project being built to address the lack of affordable housing in the community.
The Federal Point complex, a $39 million “workforce housing project,” will start seeing “a lot of action” in the coming weeks with site development work, said Graham Parr, development analyst with TWG, a national real estate development company specializing in commercial, market-rate, affordable and senior housing developments.
Rents are expected to begin at $700 a month at the new apartment building, which will be located at 450 LeClaire St. near the new R. Richard Bittner YMCA.
“Recent local reports reveal a gap of 6,645 units needed to meet the community’s housing needs. Rental prices have also increased, making it harder for individuals to afford quality housing,” according to a TWG news release.
Mr. Parr stressed that he wants the Quad Cities community to know that even though Federal Point is being labeled “affordable housing,” it will be a top-quality facility.
“These aren’t going to be just rooms to live in… It’s going to be a really well-built building. We don’t want to deal with issues (with the building) down the road,” he added.
Downtown Davenport housing at a glance
Here is a quick glance at some of the downtown Davenport apartment/loft projects under construction or renovation, according to the Downtown Davenport Partnership, an initiative of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce:
- The Federal Point complex: The four-story, 185-unit development will be built at 450 LeClaire St., just west of the new R. Richard Bittner YMCA. All the units will be reserved for residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income. The project will have 23 studios, 95 one-bedrooms and 67 two-bedroom units. Monthly rents will be between $700 and $900. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and be complete in December 2023.
- 400 River: This new development, located at 400 W. River Drive, will have 55 apartments and should be completed in March. It will have nine floor plans. The building will have a modern and open air, green rooftop with amazing/stunning Mississippi River and downtown views, lounge areas with two TVs and fire bowls, a grill with dining and bar space and a workout area, according to its website. Rents range from: $1,050 for studios; one-bedroom for $1,095; one-bedroom luxury for $1,395; and two-bedroom townhomes for $1,675, according to the 400 River’s website.
- Urbane 210: This recently completed $8 million mixed-use building at 210 E. Second St. offers multiple floor plans, including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts. There are 56 total apartments with 28 studios, 20 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments. There also is about 6,500 square feet of commercial space in the building. “Rooted in local history and culture, Urbane210 is a sophisticated building welcoming residents of all kinds,” according to its website. Rents begin at $1,000 for studios; $1,350 for one-bedrooms; and $1,700 for two-bedroom apartments. The first tenants moved into the building in August. Commercial leases are still in negotiations.
- Davenport Bank Building Apartments: Work continues on an addition that will add 30 new apartments to the building at 220 N. Main St. The project is expected to be done in April. The units range from 721 to 2,120 square feet and are ornately finished with high-end fixtures such as quartz countertops, according to the apartment website. “Our apartments offer some of the best views of the Quad Cities that include the Mississippi River, Modern Woodmen Ballpark, downtown area and great architectural views. All apartments have pendant lighting, large bedrooms, quartz countertops, washer and dryer, pocket doors, walk-in closets and much more,” according to the apartment’s Facebook page. The building’s history dates back to 1927.
- Kahl Lofts: The lofts, at 326 W. Third St., is called the city’s newest affordable housing community. It offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Income limits apply. According to the Kahl Lofts website, the annual gross income limits include: one-person, $42,800; two-person, $48,880; three-person, $54,960; and four-person, $61,040. The ongoing $20 million building renovation project is scheduled to begin taking in renters in about three months. Rents range from about $750 to $1,200 a month.
