Former Dispatch building may reopen as apartments next year

The former Moline Dispatch newspaper building at 1720 5th Ave., Moline, is closer to getting a new life as a 40-unit apartment building. Those apartments could be ready for tenants next year. The Moline City Council approved a resolution centering on the downtown building transformation project on Tuesday, July 8, during its committee of the whole meeting. That resolution designates the developer and addresses financing issues for the renovation project through tax increment financing (TIF).  The resolution was approved on a unanimous voice vote by the council after a short presentation by Chris Parr, the city’s economic development manager. No public comments or questions were made or asked by the council during the presentation or before the vote.

After his presentation, Mr. Parr told the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal that the apartment renovation will cost about $6.9 million. If the project gets additional needed approval from the city, construction could begin this fall and be complete in less than a year – perhaps next spring or summer. “The next step is for the (city) staff to work with the property owner to prepare a redevelopment agreement, which will also require city council approval,” according to Moline City Administrator Bob Vitas.  Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati said this about the building project: "This project is an excellent example of how we can repurpose our existing building stock to meet today's housing needs. The transformation of the former Dispatch building into 40 market-rate apartments will play a key role in bringing quality housing options to downtown while contributing to the ongoing revitalization of 5th Avenue. This thoughtful investment reflects the confidence developers have in downtown Moline's continued growth.”

TIF assistance sought

Part of the resolution approved Tuesday states:

• LA Nights, LLC is the owner and developer of the former Dispatch building, which will be known as the Moline Apartments, LLC. LA Nights has submitted a proposal to the city to transform the building into 40 market-rate apartments including 26 one-bedroom/studio units and 14 two-bedroom units. An off-street parking lot is planned for the east side of the building. (In fact, part of the former newspaper building was demolished in the summer of 2022 to make room for that parking lot.)
• The developer has informed the city that the building project requires financial assistance and would seek private sector financing.
• The developer desires that costs related to the project qualify for consideration as Redevelopment Project costs that can be reimbursed through tax increment financing.

Today, the former Moline Dispatch Publishing Co. building appears to be vacant. As of Tuesday morning, a city work permit was still attached to the building’s front door. That permit is for interior demolition of the building, including the removal of all walls and ceilings. The owner of the building is listed as LA Nights LLC in care of the East Moline Glass Company, according to the city permit. That company is owned by Quad Cities developer Larry Anderson.

About the Dispatch-Argus

Here are some key dates and events in the history of the newspaper:

• The Small Newspaper Group (SNG) of Kankakee, Illinois, bought The Daily Dispatch on Feb. 28, 1969. Len R. Small announced in 1986 that SNG had purchased The Rock Island Argus for an undisclosed sum. 
• The Moline Dispatch Publishing Co. originally operated the two newspapers out of separate buildings in Moline and Rock Island. (In addition, in 1994 the organization created Quad-Cities Online, the first online newspaper in the Quad Cities. It was located in Moline.)
• The two print newspapers began sharing a growing amount of content while maintaining separate editorial pages and offices until the Smalls began gradually moving staff to the Dispatch building at 1720 Fifth Ave. Moline. On Dec. 11, 2009, SNG sold the vacant historic downtown Rock Island Argus building.
• In 2016, the news organization laid off press operators and the last issues came off the presses on Feb. 28, 2016, at the publisher’s 1720 Fifth Ave. site. Printing responsibilities were transferred to a contractor in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• On June 19, 2017, the Smalls announced The Dispatch-Argus and QuadCitiesOnline.com had been sold for $7.15 million to Davenport-based Lee Enterprises, publisher of the rival Quad-City Times.
• Former staffers who were retained by Lee continued to work out of the Dispatch building until December 2017 when the newsroom operation was moved to a remodeled office suite at East Moline Glass Co. Staff later relocated to the Quad-City Times building in downtown Davenport. 

The Dispatch building, which was not included in the sale to Lee, eventually was put on the market and listed for $295,000. The listing said it was built in 1949 and contained 53,004 rentable square feet of office and warehouse space before part of the building was demolished.