Rock Island in Transition

Rock Island, Illinois has a rich history of being the community within the Quad Cities most noted for its entrepreneurial spirit. Names such as Weyerhaeuser, Denkmann, Borg, Mitchell, John Looney and others have become recognized regionally, or world-wide in some instances, for their foresight, ingenuity and accomplishments.

In the mid-1970’s Rock Island created, as did many other cities across the nation, a two block long pedestrian area, called The Great River Plaza. This area was intended to create entertainment venues and a lively streetscape that was linked to downtown retailers. Unfortunately, this was done at the same time as the nation switched to a mall oriented shopping pattern. We had festivals and music downtown, continued to serve as the County seat, but we had limited success attracting residential, retail and other commercial uses.

Rock Island was also home for many years to such traditional Midwestern mainstays as International Harvester J.I. Case Machinery and The Rock Island Line Railroad. Rock Island’s and the Quad Cities’ economy was devastated upon their closure in the 1980’s, with an area wide loss of 25,000 manufacturing jobs. The combination of these factors transformed Downtown Rock Island from a traditional economic hub to a husk of lifeless streets, empty storefronts, decaying architecture and depreciating real estate.

In the mid to late 1980’s, several key structures were renovated for hospitality purposes and, with the support of the Mayor and City Council, The Rock Island Downtown Arts and Entertainment District, The District, was born.
Focusing on redevelopment, and taking advantage of State, Federal and local programs and resources, commercial buildings were renovated, residential spaces were created and the Arts began to thrive. Within the last 15 years, Rock Island’s District has evolved into a place to live, to work and to play.

The District, defined as the Downtown Tax Increment Finance District, is truly a mixed use area. Home to not only the majority of the City’s hospitality businesses, but also several key employers like Modern Woodmen of America, Royal Neighbors of America and Bituminous Insurance companies and the County and City of Rock Island, there are a significant numbers of non-manufacturing jobs and a growing number of residents who live in everything from market-rate owner-occupied housing to affordable rental units. In short, the District is for everyone.

Although many hours of planning and strategizing have brought the downtown to this point, changing socio-demographic trends have caused the hospitality sector of the downtown economy to come into direct conflict with residents and businesses that call The District “home”.

In the fall of 2006, the staffs of the City of Rock Island and Renaissance Rock Island came together to develop a Downtown Strategic Plan for 2007 – 2010. A variety of objectives were developed to achieve thriving and mixed use downtown. One strategy identified the downtown economy and nightlife as being of concern.

Recognizing the importance of the hospitality sector to Rock Island’s economy, but also recognizing the importance of the commercial, retail and residential sectors of the downtown’s economy it became clear that a broader perspective was necessary to fully understand the forces at work in the District.

The Responsible Hospitality Institute’s (RHI) Hospitality Zone Assessment process was the clear answer to providing that broader perspective. Upon completion of the Assessment, hospitality, development, safety and community stakeholders will have reviewed the District’s and Rock Island’s hospitality sector in a holistic fashion. Issues and approximately six goals will be identified, along with tactics and the human and financial resources to address them. RHI’s plan will be created by the community and implemented by the community to set The District’s course for years to come.