‘There’s a lot of good things coming to Bettendorf’

One of Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher’s favorite words on Wednesday, Feb. 26, was “more.” He used the word many times during the Bettendorf State of the City Address to describe the city’s economy, business growth, development projects and its future. The city is moving forward with more businesses, more housing, more people, more services and […]

One of Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher’s favorite words on Wednesday, Feb. 26, was “more.” He used the word many times during the Bettendorf State of the City Address to describe the city’s economy, business growth, development projects and its future. The city is moving forward with more businesses, more housing, more people, more services and more tourists and visitors coming to Bettendorf, the mayor said.

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“We had a great year in growing new businesses in Bettendorf. … Thank you for all you do to make this an awesome place to live, work and play,” Mayor Gallagher told a crowd of about 300 people at the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center in downtown Bettendorf. The crowd, made up mostly of business, government and community leaders, heard the mayor outline success stories from last year and major projects that are in the works this year and coming years. Some of those success stories included:

• Housing: New housing developments include 98 new single-family homes and townhouses; and nine new apartment buildings (consisting of 326 units). In addition,  4,178 building permits were issued last year.
• Capital improvement projects: There have been more than 250 projects over the past five years. Some of them include street resurfacing, traffic signals, railroad crossing work, sidewalk work, sewer expansion and more.
• Population growth: Bettendorf’s population was 33,217 in 2010; and 39,102 in 2020. The population is expected to grow to more than 56,000 by 2045.
• Parks and recreation: There were almost 130,000 participants using facilities last year. The city maintains 670 acres in 26 parks, and 37 miles of trails.
• Upcoming events: The mayor pointed out two events in the near future: the 2025 Downtown Cleanup Day will be Wednesday, April 16, and the Be Downtown celebration will be Saturday, June 7.
• Business growth: The mayor pointed out several businesses that have moved to the community, and have built new facilities or moved into existing buildings. Some of those include:  Lynco Products and The UnityPoint Health PACE Senior Care Bettendorf center have moved into 2119 Kimberly Road in Bettendorf, in part of the building that was once home to Hobby Lobby;  Pets Supplies Plus has opened at 3280 Middle Road; Tony’s Chicago Style Pizza & Breakfast has opened for business at 2297 Falcon Ave.; and  D’Lua Taco Shop has opened in downtown Bettendorf  at 2460 State St., the site of a former McDonald’s fast food restaurant.
• Riverfront: There are also plans to bring more businesses and development to the Bettendorf riverfront. The mayor said more details on that project will be announced in the near future. “We’re going to create a better use of our greatest asset, the Mississippi River,” he added.
• Business growth in northern Bettendorf: However, when it comes to business growth, much of that growth is happening on the north edge of the city around the TBK Bank Sports Complex. Mr. Gallagher said that since the sports complex opened a few years ago, it has attracted almost 7.8 million visitors with 55% of those people staying overnight in the community. “This has been the game-changer we wanted it to be,” he said. A lot more growth is coming to that area, the mayor said pointing out that several businesses are in the works around the TBK complex. For instance, another sports complex –  a 113,00-square-foot facility, currently called the Forest Grove Sports Complex – recently opened for business; Iron Tee Golf opened last spring; a new hotel, the $18 million SpringHill Suites by Marriott, is under construction. The mayor told the crowd that a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for SpringHill on Tuesday, April 1. Other developments include the ongoing construction of a $50 million ORA Orthopedics facility; and a $70 million reconfiguration of Interstate 80 and Middle Road that will take place over three years.

Many in the crowd said they were pleased at the progress being made in the city. For instance, resident Chad Nichols said that after hearing the State of the City Address, he is even more convinced that the city’s future will likely center on the area around the TBK Bank Sports Complex. “His message was exciting. … And his optimism was backed by facts instead of just saying “Good things are coming,’” said Mr. Nichols. In addition to outlining projects and news businesses, Mr. Gallagher also discussed several challenges facing the city. For instance, the city is seeing increased costs in almost every sector. That includes health insurance costs going up 8% in one year, and liability insurance costs increasing by 55% in four years. Also, the city is in need of a new police station, the mayor said. “We are kind of shoehorned into a corner (with the current police station) that is not working.”  Bettendorf residents are expected to receive a survey in April, asking them about their views on building a new station. The proposed police station would likely be funded through a public referendum that may come in November. “This (new police station) has been a top priority for Bettendorf City Council,” Decker Ploehn, city administrator and former police chief, said in a statement in December. “In 2023, we did a space needs study, and it found that we really need more room for our growing staff – and that includes more police officers. With our city growing, we are committed to keeping our community safe, and building a new police station in the center of our city is paramount to continuing to fulfill our city’s mission.” After hearing about the city's growth, proposed new police station and many other projects, several in the audience commented that they believe Bettendorf is on the right track. “There’s a lot of good things coming to Bettendorf. … There’s a lot more happening here,” Mr. Nichols added.