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Moline’s State of the City shows City Progress despite Illinois Budget Impasse

“We had a good year,” says Moline Mayor Scott Raes. That’s something not commonly heard from Illinois city leaders during this state budget im...

"We had a good year," says Moline Mayor Scott Raes.

That's something not commonly heard from Illinois city leaders during this state budget impasse, the longest showdown Illinois has ever seen.

On Monday, Mayor Raes gave his state of the city address.

"We just have to get a budget together, and we're trying to keep these projects moving forward," says Raes.

One of these projects is the Quad Cities train station, better known as The Q. It's a plan to make a hotel and Amtrak with a direct route to Chicago.

State and federal government promised Moline $223 million to complete The Q, and to make track updates. But the city has yet to see those funds.

"Although it has been delayed, we will be waiting for the state to announce a revised schedule in the coming months. We will continue to focus our attention on the hotel project," says Moline City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher.

The Q hotel and station are expected to be complete by December 2016.

The city is also seeing growth in its downtown area.

"We've added over 350 units in the last several years. It's not just young or old. It's a whole series of people choosing to live downtown," says Moline Planning and Development Director Ray Forsythe.

City leaders attribute this growth to their commitment to renovating old buildings and offering a variety of food and entertainment.

Mayor Raes says as far as improvements are concerned, the city needs to work on its roads. Raes says the city will use a $1.7 million surplus for residential street repairs.

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