The Quad Cities, like much of the rest of the country, is at a point where supply of available “development ready” industrial land and existing building inventory is at an all-time low, to a point that is hindering the community’s ability to grow in the coming decades.
As the first point of contact for most large-scale industrial projects in a six-county region, we see the impact of this limitation directly. According to our data from FY21-23, we were simply unable to respond to 75 requests for information – the first step in attracting new corporate investment to the Quad Cities.
Notably, both Presidents Trump and Biden have a particular interest in advancing America’s manufacturing capacity at home – something that cannot occur without land and infrastructure to accommodate that growth in new investment.
To address this national issue, Senators Mark Kelly (D – Arizona), Tom Cotton (R – AR) and now Vice President J.D. Vance (R – Ohio) introduced the ONSHORE Act, which creates the Critical Supply Chain Site Development grant program in 2023. The following year, local Congress members Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R – Iowa) and Eric Sorensen (D – Illinois) joined forces to introduce a companion to this Senate bill in the House. At the end of the last Congress, the ONSHORE Act passed as a component of a larger package related to water infrastructure.
The Critical Supply Chain Site Development grant program, if it receives funding, will provide nationally competitive grants to be used for anything from land acquisition, site studies, utility extensions and final grading. Think of it as anything from purchasing land to making that land shovel-ready. If the Quad Cities were able to successfully compete for such funding, it would provide a distinct advantage in the competition for new domestic and foreign investment for primary employers.
With authorizing language now in place, the Quad Cities should keep its eyes on two goals.
First, the program must have funds appropriated by Congress to operationalize the funding and even allow communities like the Quad Cities to compete for federal dollars. This is the top priority for the Quad Cities Chamber in 2025, along with extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Second, as we advocate for funding, community partners from development corporations, municipalities, educational institutions and economic development professionals need to come together and prepare to compete for this funding.
There are a number of opportunities in both the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities, but to be successful in competing for highly sought after federal funds will require an all-hands-on-deck effort between our public and private sectors.
Ryan Sempf is executive director of government affairs for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at [email protected].
