A group of invited guests were treated to a sneak peek this week at a rehabbed home at 5124 Sixth Ave., Moline, that a Moline Community Development Corporation (CDC) leader said once resembled a “racoon hotel.”
The City of Moline first took possession of the home in 2021, a news release from the Moline CDC said. Through a sealed bid process led by Renew Moline, a committee of representatives from the Moline CDC, Renew and the city selected the proposal by Southern Cross Properties to buy and renovate the home within nine months.
On Tuesday, April 11, Dave and Denise Browning of Ci, based in the Quad Cities, offered an inside look at the revitalized home to the Moline CDC’s board of directors, city officials, neighborhood residents and invited media.
According to Mr. Browning, “The house was originally designed as a traditional Dutch Colonial. In a nod to that vernacular, we completed the house in a modern Scandinavian style.”
He added: “I think that the transformation of this house is a win for the City of Moline, the community, myself as a businessperson, and the fortunate family that will undoubtedly prosper in this home.”
Moline CDC Secretary Bill Abel recalled how the home looked before South Cross Properties began its work. “This house was a bit of a raccoon hotel,” he said in the release. “It was a major eyesore and a concern for other property owners in the neighborhood.”
Prior to the sneak peek event, Mr. Abel also said, “We are thrilled to see the transformation into a beautiful home for a Moline family.”
The swift completion of the project also was important to the leaders of the project. “Among many factors, the bid review committee considered how quickly each bid would return this house to productive use,” Mr. Abel said. “We also appreciated that Southern Cross Properties committed to maintaining the historic character of the home’s exterior while modernizing the interior.”
Since its founding in 2008, the Moline CDC has partnered with the City of Moline on more than 10 properties. The properties had fallen into disrepair, adding to the housing shortage in the Quad Cities and losing potential tax revenue, the news release said. Homes with the potential to be salvaged were either rehabilitated by the Moline CDC or sold to contractors for rehab, while homes beyond repair were torn down to make way for redevelopment of the properties.
The Moline CDC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to fostering affordable living, safe housing and thriving neighborhoods for Moline residents.
Most recently, it has joined forces with Renew Moline, a non-profit economic development entity, to enhance capacity and expand its impact in Moline.
