Genesis hospital complex plan moves forward in Bettendorf

A new hospital complex being planned for the northern part of Bettendorf is moving forward. The Bettendorf City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 17, voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance to rezone the property on the southwest corner of Forest Grove Drive and Middle Road so several new medical buildings can be […]

A new hospital complex being planned for the northern part of Bettendorf is moving forward. The Bettendorf City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 17, voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance to rezone the property on the southwest corner of Forest Grove Drive and Middle Road so several new medical buildings can be built in that area by the Genesis Health System. (A second reading is expected to be voted on at the council’s meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1.)

The proposed site is located just south of the TBK Bank Sport Complex. Genesis submitted a request to rezone 51 acres of land from A-1 Agricultural/Urban Reserve District to a Urban High-Intensity District for the hospital complex.  If the project goes as planned, the multi-million-dollar hospital facility will be completed in 2026. The plan submitted by Genesis includes a hospital, health care center, medical office building, medical facility, off-street parking and commercial retail space, according to city council documents. During Tuesday’s council meeting, Fourth Ward Alderman Greg Adamson thanked Genesis for picking Bettendorf for the new hospital complex project. “It’s a great town and a great company,” said Mr. Adamson, who was acting as the meeting chairman on Tuesday with the absence of Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher, and Mayor Pro-Tem and Alderman Scott Naumann attending the meeting virtually. The vote on the Genesis rezoning came after a brief public hearing. No members of the public spoke in favor or in opposition to the plan on Tuesday. However, council members were given a letter dated Sept. 13 and signed by Shawn Morrow, president of UnityPoint Health Quad Cities. In that letter, Mr. Morrow said UnityPoint was concerned about the location of a parking garage as part of the hospital complex’s plan. That garage could be placed near land owned by UnityPoint’s behavioral health subsidiary, the Center for Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS). That land is behind the River of Life Church at 4855 Forest Grove Road. A parking garage in that area would be disruptive to patients in case CADS decides to develop the property in the future. UnityPoint officials are asking the council to work with Genesis to relocate the proposed parking facility, according to the letter. “The presence of such a (parking) facility would limit our ability to provide a serene and supportive environment for community members seeking our services. The noise, lights and general commotion associated with a parking garage or any large facility structure would be disruptive to the tranquility required to effectively deliver behavioral health or other health care services in that location,” according to part of the letter. The letter adds that the property behind the church is “one of the few remaining areas of peace and quiet in the rapidly growing northeast Bettendorf area. We want to preserve the line of sight to the sky to provide the connection to the environment that we believe is an integral part of the healing process, which would be disrupted and destroyed by replacing sky views with concrete parking garages or multi-story buildings.” During Tuesday’s meeting, Mark Hunt, the City of Bettendorf's community development director, did not directly address the concerns brought up in the letter. However, he said the Genesis “master plan” for the hospital facility is not a site plan, and there is time to make changes to the planned facility. Mr. Hunt, along with Taylor Beswick, senior city planner, also gave the council an update on the actions taken by city officials on the rezoning request for the proposed hospital project. Those actions include a neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposed complex that was held  Monday, Aug. 12, with property owners in the Forest Grove Drive and Middle Road area. On Tuesday, council members were told six or seven people attended that meeting and had several general questions, but voiced no opposition to the plan. Also, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval of the rezoning during a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21. As part of that process, the commission did a rezoning analysis of the property and addressed a series of questions. They included: Are there adequate public utilities? Has the pattern of development of the surrounding property been considered? Will this negatively impact the nearby parcels? Council members on Tuesday also were shown a map of the proposed health complex. The planned facilities include:

• 52,000 square feet for medical/healthcare services.
• 98,000 square feet for medical offices.
• 187,000 square feet for a hospital.
• 55,500 square feet for commercial retail/restaurant.
• 300,000 square feet for a parking garage.

The proposed hospital complex is a “major job-creating industry for the city, and enhancing community character with improved health services making Bettendorf a great place to live,” according to information presented to the Bettendorf City Council from city staff. “We are excited to continue to realize tremendous growth in the Middle Road, Forest Grove corridor.  The addition of the Genesis medical center complex, and the assorted other commercial uses that will accompany the same, will be a welcomed addition to the area.  Increasing the critical mass of daily employees in north Bettendorf will help the restaurants and shops thriving at The Plex and those coming on board soon,” Mr. Gallagher told the QCBJ in a recent emailed statement. The hospital complex is being planned for a section of northern Bettendorf that continues to grow and attract more businesses. Dozens of other businesses have opened around the TBK Bank Sports Complex. Some of those new or in-the-works businesses include: a new $18 million SpringHill Suites by Marriott now under construction; Iron Tee Golf; and ORA, which is building a new $50 million state-of-the-art clinic and outpatient surgery center. A second sports complex also is under construction. Work has begun on the new sports building – that will be 112,000 square feet and cost about $13 million – to be built next to the Iron Tee.