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Moline Prepares for “The Q” Construction

The effort to transform the west side of downtown Moline is about to take a big leap forward. The old Sears warehouse, built 97 years ago, will be renovated int...

The effort to transform the west side of downtown Moline is about to take a big leap forward.

The old Sears warehouse, built 97 years ago, will be renovated into "The Q," a train depot and hotel complex.   The work on the six story brick building will be the biggest downtown construction project since the Kone Tower was built along the riverfront.

The work will aim to keep the integrity of the building.

"See where those blocks are?   Where it looks like in the 60s and 70s?" asks Moline director of Planning and Development Ray Forsythe.

"They added those, they'll all come out, so they're going to be big windows along this side because that's the way it originally was."

Forsythe says work on what will become a bustling train depot on the first floor, and a five story extended-stay hotel above it, is entering a new phase.   Architectural designs for this shell of a building are almost complete, bids will soon be let out, and construction is to start this Spring on a major renovation that could be mostly finished by this time next year.

"Look at all the restoration projects in the Quad Cities and all over the country.  People know what they're doing."

Among them is the developer for an Element by Westin hotel.  That chain, which has its closest location now in Omaha, will soon begin work on the upper five floors of the building.

Element hotels are all about green: in construction and in operation, this Westin chain aims at being environmentally friendly.   And the Moline location will be its first in a rehabbed building.

"Yes there's a lot of different players and a lot of coordination, a lot of people working behind the scenes to make sure this place is going to be ready," says Jennifer Garrity of MetroLINK.

Across the street, demolition work has begun to add parking to the area.  Two new lots are being built for hotel customers and train passengers.

4th Avenue and 12th Street will see several upgrades.  And to the east, there will be an atrium entrance and a public plaza.    It's the start of a major change in the downtown's west side.

"And keep in mind, we want the travelers to come to Moline but they're also going to go to Chicago.  So we need to make sure we've got a great environment for people coming and going," says Forsythe.

But the real work is down the line.

55 miles of railroad tracks from Bureau County to the Quad Cities still need to be upgraded and some new lines must still be built.

"Everything has been approved," says Garrity.

"It's in the budget.  Everything is ready to go."

The Sears warehouse is now considered a survivor.     Developers say it will be restored with a modern touch.

"We're excited to, you know, kinda bring it back and celebrate the history of the building," says Forsythe.

And bring passenger rail back to the Quad Cities.

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