MOLINE - It's an island, but its impact reached far from the shores of the Mississippi River.
As the Trump administration looks to increase defense spending, those who run Rock Island Arsenal operations are looking for ways to keep the work flowing.
In the State of the Arsenal Address, Major General Edward Daly said the next few years will be critical for Quad City operations.
"There`s some uncertainty about the future across the board and so now more than ever I think we need to communicate," said General Daly.
There are already new investments on the Island. Work has begun on 73 new homes, the first of such construction in decades.
The Arsenal Museum which was scheduled to be shut down will now stay open.
"We`re going to bring the museum into the 21st century," said General Daly.
Although the golf course has struggled to attract members, General Daly say it's staying too, perhaps teaming up with a private partner.
"Even though we still own it, a leasing plan where we can really invest in the infrastructure to make it even a better golf course.”
However, the key to keeping the island vibrant will be to turn vacant buildings into leasable space, creating new partnerships with the cities that surround the island.
"In an effort to build on an already strong relationship with the quad cities communities," said General Daly.
General Daly also heard about concerns that tightened security on the island. He says the military will work with the community to try to make access to the island easier to get on.