Glen Grove project to welcome 5 businesses to Bettendorf

The empty, muddy field at the corner of Forest Grove Drive and Devils Glen Road in northern Bettendorf is about to become a busy place. That corner will soon be home to two business buildings housing five businesses in a project known as the Glen Grove Development, a project being built by the GRT Property […]

The empty, muddy field at the corner of Forest Grove Drive and Devils Glen Road in northern Bettendorf is about to become a busy place. That corner will soon be home to two business buildings housing five businesses in a project known as the Glen Grove Development, a project being built by the GRT Property Group. “We’re got a lot of excitement for this corner. … We’re going to grow into this corner,” said  Steve Geifman, president of the Geifman Group, which is part of GRT.

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Mr. Geifman was one of about 75 people from the business community who gathered on a sunny, hot Thursday morning, June 26, for a Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce ground-breaking ceremony to help usher in the business project. Here’s a look at the project and its business tenants:

• The project will consist of two buildings: A 3,800-square-foot building that will house a new Whitey’s Ice Cream shop; and a 10,000-square-foot mixed-use building that will be home to a Hungry Hobo restaurant and The Cities Private Wealth Group - Ameriprise Financial Services. The project’s cost has not been disclosed.
• The mixed-use building also will have space for two additional tenants, who have yet to be announced.
• Construction work at the site has begun. In fact, walls will start being constructed on the Whitey’s building today (Friday, June 27), said Mr. Geifman.
• If all goes according to schedule, the two buildings will be complete by November.
• In collaboration with Geifman Group and general contractor, Twin Shores, key partners on the Glen Grove project include: Streamline Architects, Carr Engineering, KF Engineering, RTM Engineering Consultants, and Quad City Bank & Trust.
• This development is the latest in a series of projects led by GRT Property Group, which recently delivered two new Quad Cities Starbucks locations in Moline and LeClaire, as well as the renovation and expansion of RILCO, Inc.’s headquarters in Eldridge.

Area business leaders attending the ceremony said they are excited about the project. “This second Bettendorf location will feature a drive-thru and is just a mile down the road from the TBK (Bank) Sports Complex area. We are very excited to get this project underway and will be sure to keep you updated on the progress and opening date,” Whitey’s recently announced  on its Facebook page. On Thursday, Annika Tunberg, vice president at Whitey’s, called it a great moment for the company. “We are very excited about this new venture. … We know we have a lot of fans here,” she added. John Pavelka, of The Cities Private Wealth Group - Ameriprise Financial Services, said the best word to describe the Glen Grove Development is “vision.” He thanked the City of Bettendorf and GRT for having the vision to approve and build the project. He also thanked his clients and employees at the wealth group for helping the financial services business grow. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of growth and we’re not done yet,” Mr. Pavelka told the crowd. Pryce Boeye, the owner of The Hungry Hobo, said his business is also growing. The new restaurant at the Glen Grove Development will be the company’s fourth drive-through location, and third location where foodies can get a Hungry Hobo meal and Whitey’s ice cream treat at the same site. Mr. Boeye also praised the site of the business project. He pointed out the many new houses that are being built in the area around the intersection of  Forest Grove Drive and Devils Glen Road. That means the new residents to the neighborhood will have new places to get meals, ice cream and more. “This has really turned into a great spot for business,” he added.