New youth center will be ‘second home’ to children

A new, nearly $1 million youth center will be built near downtown Davenport next year. The center will be a “second home” to local children who need a safe place to have fun and learn valuable lessons. That’s the hope of Project Renewal officials who joined about 100 people late Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 29, to […]

A new, nearly $1 million youth center will be built near downtown Davenport next year. The center will be a “second home” to local children who need a safe place to have fun and learn valuable lessons. That’s the hope of Project Renewal officials who joined about 100 people late Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 29, to kick off work on the new Project Renewal Youth Center. (Project Renewal is a central Davenport youth organization that has helped young people for almost 50 years. It provides educational, recreational, social activities and more for children in the neighborhood.)

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Business and community leaders gathered on the chilly day at the center’s future site – a vacant lot at 513 Warren St., which is next to the Sister Concetta Park – for a blessing and ground-breaking ceremony for the 6,900-square-foot facility. If all goes according to plan, construction will begin on the youth center in the spring, and it will open as a “second home” to children by the fall, according to Alex Cahill, president of the Project Renewal Board of Directors. “For 49 years, Project Renewal has been present in this neighborhood, empowering children and families by acting as a loving presence and providing high-quality afterschool and summer programming for the students we serve,” he said. “The programs are free and dramatically impact the students.” Some of the planned features of the new youth center will include:

• Space for health and wellness activities, such as physical fitness, dance and yoga.
• Space dedicated to science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs.
• The second floor of the youth center will feature two apartments, each with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living area and a bathroom. The apartments will be dedicated for on-site Project Renewal staff.
• The new center will include a detached garage, concrete patio, driveway and sidewalks.
• Projected construction cost is $972,850. Davenport-based Russell is building the center.
• Estimated completion date is fall of 2024.

During the ground breaking, several community and business leaders praised Project Renewal and its work as well as Ms. Schwickerath, its longtime leader. St. Ambrose University President Amy Novak called Ms. Schwickerath a great role model for the community. She added that St. Ambrose students have helped with many Project Renewal projects over the years and have been changed for the better by the experience. “I don’t know of a student who has been here who has not been fundamentally transformed by this. … We can all be better together,” Ms. Novak added. John Anderson, CEO of Quad City Bank & Trust, is another supporter of Project Renewal who urged the crowd to support the organization and the youth center project. In fact, he has helped bring financial literacy lessons to the children being helped by Project Renewal. “The mission (at Project Renewal) continues to give me goosebumps every day,” Mr. Anderson said. He reminded the crowd at the groundbreaking Wednesday to remember and honor all the good work being done at Project Renewal. But they should also consider this question: What if the community did not have Project Renewal? Several people at the event said that even though the organization has been around for almost 50 years, many people in the community still don’t know about it. They are hoping that will change with the construction of the new youth center and other projects the organization has in the works. “If people don’t know about us, they should visit. Once you are here, it makes everything better,” Ms. Schwickerath said shortly after the ceremony. Work to build the center actually began last year when Project Renewal bought the two-story house at 513 Warren St., which is directly across the street from the group’s operating space – called the Treat House. The goal was to renovate the house because “our organization, students and neighbors endured a property that frequently was a site of violence, delinquency and drugs,” according to information from Project Renewal. (Photos of that old house were on display during Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony. Project Renewal officials put together a display board with about 20 photos from the exterior and interior conditions of the house.) After the organization bought the house, those renovation plans came to a halt when severe structural issues were found in the house. The decision was made to demolish the house, which was done in May. At the end of August, the Project Renewal board approved plans to build a youth center. The center is just one phase of a three-part, $1.8 million project to make updates to Project Renewal facilities. The other parts of the project include the renovation of the Treat House; and renovation of staff offices and housing at 906 W. Fifth St. Project officials said they have raised about 50% of the money needed to complete the three projects. (Donations to Project Renewal projects can be made here.) While introducing the plans for the future, Mr. Cahill reminded the crowd of what he said was an old proverb: “Vision without funding is simply a mirage.”  “Today is a moment to recognize our past. …. But this is just the beginning,” he added. Ms. Schwickerath, who became emotional several times Wednesday as she talked about the legacy of Project Renewal’s beginnings in 1974 with Sister Concetta Bendicente and called it a special landmark day for the community. (More on the history of Project Renewal can be found here.) “I just feel so blessed right now. I’m thankful this is happening,” she added.