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What happens if the Davenport council does – or does not – override the stadium veto

Davenport City Council members met on Wednesday to discuss Mayor Bill Gluba’s veto on the St. Ambrose University sports complex decision. SAU wants to bui...

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Davenport City Council members met on Wednesday to discuss Mayor Bill Gluba's veto on the St. Ambrose University sports complex decision.

SAU wants to build a 2,500-seat stadium on the St. Vincent’s Center property, near Marquette and West Central Park Avenue.

Those plans looked promising until Mayor Bill Gluba vetoed the plans July 16, 2014. The week before, the City Council gave its third approval of the plans, voting 6-4 in favor of the project.

In Wednesday's meeting, Davenport City Council members discussed Mayor Gluba's veto and whether or not to override it.

SAU's Vice President of Finance, Mike Poster, said he hopes the four city council members who voted against the sports complex will change their votes.

"This is an athletic complex, we're not changing the use of the property. We're not changing the nature or the character of the property. We're not changing what goes on on that property, we want to do the same things. We just want to improve it and make it better," Poster said.

If the Davenport City Council overrides Mayor Gluba's vote and gives SAU the go-ahead to build the sports complex, SAU will have to abide by 23 stipulations set by the City of Davenport. Some of those stipulations include size restraints, improving city sewers, and regulating activities during game days.

"We have done everything necessary, we meet every city requirement, every city ordinance. We've done extensive work, extensive studying and it works here. The city has problems, we know that, we're offering them solutions to those problems," said Poster. "Throughout this process people have said, what a terrible thing this would be, but [we think] athletic complexes are very positive places where kids do positive things in the community."

If the Davenport City Council does not override the mayor's veto, SAU has written out an agreement with Assumption High School to go ahead and build the sports complex on Assumption property.

"We've been disappointed with the mayor's veto and we have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Assumption," said Poster. "Really what that says is if the veto should be overturned it would start discussions with them. No details or anything that go along with it. But we felt that we needed a contingency plan in case the veto was not overturned."