Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, holds a time capsule that was unveiled on Thursday, Sept. 26, during a celebration at Union Station in Davenport. It will be filled and opened in 50 years. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Union Station in downtown Davenport has a grand past. But it may have a brighter future that will help attract more tourists to the Quad Cities. That’s because the historic building at 102 S. Harrison St. has been named an official Iowa Welcome Center. The destination is important because it will give tourism officials and […]
Union Station in downtown Davenport has a grand past. But it may have a brighter future that will help attract more tourists to the Quad Cities. That’s because the historic building at 102 S. Harrison St. has been named an official Iowa Welcome Center.The destination is important because it will give tourism officials and groups more ways to show off the region to would-be visitors.
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Davenport Mayor Mike Matson speaks at Thursday's celebration at Union Station.
A time capsule was unveiled at the celebration.
Union Station is 100 years old.
The celebration featured music.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Union Station.
Union Station and the Quad Cities will be included on more state tourism websites, publications and other promotional materials, said Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities.
Union Station in Davenport is 100 years old. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Union Station and the Quad Cities will be included on more state tourism websites, publications and other promotional materials, said Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. (Union Station is now a Destination Center for Visit Quad Cities. Its role is to make sure visitors have a positive experience in the Quad Cities.)The new Iowa Welcome Center designation “gives us an expanded reach. … more options,” said Mr. Herrell, on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 26, during a celebration at Union Station.The Iowa Welcome Center designation, awarded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Travel Iowa, places Union Station among an exclusive network of locations across the state dedicated to providing visitors with high-quality, personalized travel recommendations. With this new status, Union Station will continue to serve as a key resource for the Quad Cities region, enhancing visitor experiences and promoting the unique attractions and offerings of the area.“We’re delighted to designate Visit Quad Cities’ Union Station as a partnership Iowa Welcome Center,” said Amy Zeigler, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office, in a news release. “Visitors will not only receive personalized recommendations about the beautiful Quad Cities region but will also experience the warm, friendly hospitality that epitomizes ‘Iowa Nice.’ What a great way to welcome travelers to our state.”Thursday’s celebration, which attracted about 50 leaders from the community, honored the historic Davenport building’s 100th anniversary. It was also held to honor Union Station’s future as it becomes part of a network of 17 welcome centers across Iowa.On Thursday Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said he hopes the new welcome center designation will help bring in more people to see the many great features in Davenport and the rest of the region/ “All we have to do is get them here,” the mayor said.One of the great features Davenport will showcase in the near future is the Main Street Landing project. The project, which will go near Union Station, will focus on a series of riverfront improvements that could start next year.
Highlights everywhere
Some of Main Street Landing highlights will include:
Installation of a high-intensity, multi-generational experience zone that will include a signature tower structure, slides, climbing assets, an interactive water feature and a space for winter activities.
Creation of a passive activity zone near Lock and Dam 15 that highlights the existing amphi-theater and scenic views.
New restroom facility, colorful LED lighting, shade structures, seating, and unique swing elements.
Installation of a railroad quiet zone that will stretch from Marquette to Mound streets to reduce noise pollution and increase safety throughout the downtown riverfront.
Construction of a pedestrian bridge that will allow continuous and safe access over the Canadian Pacific rail line.
Renovation and upgrade of the skybridge’s LED lighting system.
Installation of artistic LED programmable lighting on the exterior of the Figge Art Museum that will consist of over 3,000 feet of colorful fixtures.
All those features – plus Union Station – will make Davenport a “state-of-the-art destination” for visitors, the mayor added.While great buildings and features play an important role in getting visitors to the region, Mr. Herrell said it still takes a personal touch to attract and keep tourists. He said positive experiences with visitors is still the “most vital” part of the local tourism industry. He praised the staff at Visit Quad Cities for providing those positive experiences.
Union Station at 100
Thursday’s celebration also featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honor Union Station’s 100th year, and the unveiling of a time capsule that will be opened in 50 years. It will contain a wide variety of smaller items including stickers, tourism promotional materials and two paper scrolls. One is a guest ledger with the signatures of the people attending Thursday’s celebration. The other features the question “If you could preserve one thing about this building for the future, what would it be?” Comments written there include the doors, front awning and “materials reflecting both its original use and sense of the time in which it was built.”Also, Mr. Matson presented Mr. Herrell with a set of keys for the capsule. The mayor said they probably were from the 1960s, and were once used to open Union Station’s doors.Mr. Herrell said the capsule will not be buried or placed inside a wall. Rather it will be put in “safe storage” for opening in the year 2074.In addition to the time capsule, much of Thursday’s celebration centered on Union Station. The event featured enlarged newspaper articles from the 1920s on the station, video screens showing old and new photos of Union Station, balloons, music, food and drinks, and several speeches praising the building. For instance, Visit Quad Cities Board of Directors Chair Maria Ontiveros said the building still serves as “the face of the Quad Cities.”Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, said he hopes the building will help the community tell its success stories. He added that the Quad Cities has a “terrible habit” of not always being able to celebrate its successes and the good things that happen in the region.“This building will transform this community in all the best ways,” he added.
