Emerson Place alley will ‘shine each night’

Many alleys are an afterthought for a community. They get little attention and few people want to visit them, especially after dark. But a downtown Davenport alley might break that bad image. The Emerson Place alley has been transformed with decorative lighting, permanent steel archways and art. If all goes as planned, the alley will […]

Many alleys are an afterthought for a community. They get little attention and few people want to visit them, especially after dark. But a downtown Davenport alley might break that bad image. The Emerson Place alley has been transformed with decorative lighting, permanent steel archways and art. If all goes as planned, the alley will become a place that will attract celebrations, special events and a lot of visitors, according to Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP). “This community should be very proud of this alley,” Mr. Carter said Thursday afternoon, May 29, during a brief Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event celebrated the alley beautification project’s near completion, and the many local companies and people who helped for the past two years to transform the downtown alley. (That alley runs between Iowa and Perry streets and is located between East Second Street and River Drive.)

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Thursday’s ceremony, which attracted more than 30 people from the business community, took place on the east edge of the alley, directly behind The Last Picture House. DDP, an affiliate of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, invested $180,000 for the project, which included $52,000 of donated in-kind labor and materials provided by Davenport Electric Contract Company (DECCO).  “DECCO and Barry VanBlaircom’s generous donation and project management are a huge reason this downtown master plan goal came to life,” Mr. Carter said in a news release before the ceremony. “This project showcases what we can build right here in the QC when we think creatively, get engaged and stick to the plan.” Some of the features of the Emerson Place alley include: 

• Decorative lighting enhances safety and nighttime ambiance. That alley lighting was turned on for the first time Monday night, May 26.
• Historic-inspired archways highlight the Motor Row & Bucktown neighborhood history. Those archways are located at both ends of the alley. They pay homage to the neighborhood’s complex story as a historic district, with a nod to its duality as a hub for both the then emerging automobile industry, as well as its earlier origins as an infamous home to bawdy saloons and entertainment. 
• The alley sports a series of  murals that were created by five artists during the Alternating Currents celebration in 2023. A new mural is expected to be added to the back of a business building facing the alley this summer.
• Some of the other additions will include improvements to the edging near parking lots by the alley; the construction of a Dumpster enclosure; and resurfacing of a part of the alley. Most of those improvements will be done in the next 30 to 60 days. The repaving project will likely be done next year, Mr. Carter said.

Emerson Place alley is the latest downtown Davenport feature that is attracting people to the city, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said at the ceremony. “The lighting and improvements to downtown Davenport are amazing,” he added. The mayor told the crowd that Davenport is becoming the go-to place for many visitors with the many projects that have been completed or are in the works. Those projects include the $4 million project called “Evanescent Field” to light up the exterior of the Figge Art Museum, and the ongoing construction of a four-season recreational area called Main Street Landing. That 10-acre riverfront 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. A groundbreaking for that project was held last month. It is scheduled to be done in the fall of 2026. Mr. Carter added other activities – such as Quad Cities River Bandits’ ball games and fireworks at Modern Woodmen Park, and movies shown by The Last Picture House – are making Davenport popular with many visitors. Now, a transformed alley will add to the downtown fun. “The space will literally shine each night, illuminating the adjacent businesses while providing a safer and more beautiful alleyway that’s highly visible downtown.  It can also serve as a space to host … special events,” he added. During Thursday’s ceremony, Mr. Carter told the crowd the alley transformation project turned out to be tougher than expected. “This stuff is very hard to put together. … There are a million things that go into what seems to be simple things.”  Here are the local companies that took on that tough job and transformed the alley: 

• Howard Steel, based in Davenport’s west end, fabricated custom archways and beams.
• Shive-Hattery Inc., Bettendorf, provided engineering support.
• Davenport Electric Company designed and installed the lighting and provided project management.
• Streamline Architects, East Moline, and Oertel Metal Works, Davenport, contributed to early design and planning.
• Hand-drawn lettering on each sign was created by local artist Johnnie Cluney, who is widely known for his Daytrotter portraits and the Arsenal Bridge welcome sign.