Moline riverfront: Planners close in on final plan for river area

When it comes to improving the Moline riverfront, many residents want: More restaurants and other places to eat. Places for “community use,” such as biking and hiking paths. More places for shopping. Those are the top community feedback responses Moline residents made a few months ago at a public meeting to solicit opinions on plans […]

When it comes to improving the Moline riverfront, many residents want:

• More restaurants and other places to eat.
• Places for “community use,” such as biking and hiking paths.
• More places for shopping.

Those are the top community feedback responses Moline residents made a few months ago at a public meeting to solicit opinions on plans to help city, business and urban planning officials hammer out new riverfront features for the downtown Moline area near the new Interstate 74 Bridge.

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Those opinions and refined riverfront plans were reviewed Saturday, May 11, during a third public meeting on the Moline River Front + Centre Plan – held during a “Take Me to the River” workshop. The event, hosted at Mercado on Fifth’s center at 423 12th St., drew about 25 people on a sunny, warm afternoon. In addition to updates, the event featured family activities, such as making balloon animals and resting chalk draws outside the Mercado building. That new Moline riverfront plan focuses on creating a new riverfront area that attracts visitors and offers many amenities to the area bordered by the Mississippi River on the north, Seventh Avenue on the south, 23th Street on the east and 18th Street on the west. A secondary area expands the area east to Moline’s 25th Street. The updated riverfront plan — led by the City of Moline, Renew Moline and a multidisciplinary planning team MKSK Studios  — aims to create a compelling vision and implementation plan for a re-imagined Moline riverfront after getting opinions from the public, according to the city.  The top goals for Saturday's meeting were to present the public with those refined plans for the riverfront, gather more opinions and feedback from the public, and get set to present a master plan on the riverfront project to the Moline City Council this summer, said Brett Weidl, principal landscape architect for MKSK. The city hired the Columbus, Ohio-based urban design and architectural firm to assist it in the reimagined riverfront planning. “This is going to be a long-term plan. It’s not going to happen overnight. … This whole process is based on your feedback,” Ms. Weidl told the small crowd Saturday, adding that some of the features for the new-look riverfront will likely take many years to complete. During her presentation, she said some portions of the redevelopment may take 16-plus years. Some of the main features planned for the updated riverfront include ideas offered by the public: More restaurants, places to shop and community use places. Other proposed features outlined on Saturday include:

• Kone Tower: Update the tower to include gathering areas and event spaces for the public. Two plans were on display during the meeting. One plan features access to the top section of the tower, and the second plan does not have public access to that top section.
• Districts: Divide the downtown into several districts that include Campus Town, 5th Avenue Hub, 5th Avenue Commercial District, Moline Centre Gateway, Riverfront, Events and Attractions, I-74 Corridor and Moline Centre.
• Riverfront: Proposed improvements to the Riverfront district include a riverfront promenade, wetlands, boardwalk, native plantings, kayak launch and water access, aquatic habitat, river trail and river's edge overlook. Many of the features focus on getting people to the river. “That’s the number one thing we heard from the public  – ‘We want better access to the river,’” said Ms. Weidl.
• Other plans: Improvements to the other districts include play zones, a skating rink, gathering places, recreation activities, sports, health and wellness amenities, and more housing.
• There are also plans in the works to redevelop the vacant Spiegel Building in the heart of the Riverfront district.

Even though some of the parts of a renewed riverfront will likely take years to complete, they will be worth the wait, planners told the crowd. “This is going to bring people together on the riverfront and celebrate the excitement of Moline … It’s a place that will feel like home,” said Donny Zellefrow, an associate with MKSK. After MKSK officials outlined some of the plans for the updated riverfront, those attending Saturday’s event got to ask questions and look over 13 poster boards on display showing many of the proposed features. Several members of the audience said they were impressed by what they heard and saw. “I’m excited by all of these. … I like what they said about housing and creating more parks in the area,” Katie Carroll, of Moline, said as she looked over some of the display boards. In addition to looking at the boards, people also got the chance to express their views by attracting notes to the proposed plans. For instance, the boards showing plans for the Kone Tower had several notes, including one that stated “Too Expensive” and another one stating: “Light up the stairwell. … Think of Davenport’s Skybridge, but better.” Boards that showed housing and park options included these notes: “No housing. Keep open the river” and “Perfect spot for a dog park.” Ms. Weidl said she appreciated the additional input on Saturday. That input will help form a final plan for the riverfront that will greatly help the community. “We can start to dream big about what happens on the riverfront,” she added.