A housing development project was expected to make its grand arrival in Davenport over the summer but the project still isn’t complete.
Construction for the Gordon-Van Tine Commons was pushed back another year because developers had to work though the kinks of trying to preserve this history of one of davenport’s oldest buildings. But the project is still in the works.
The $40 million Harbor View Project off Federal Street and East River Drive has been in the works for about three years now. Developers Y&J Properties and Joe Erenberger weren’t looking to the city of davenport for financial help, instead they went to the state and were approved to be partially funded though state historic tax credits.
Developer Joe Erenberger says getting through the tax process and making sure history is preserved, is what set the project back another year.
“You have make sure you’re keeping the historic fabric of the building and what it was designed for and how that plays into your reuse of the building. That costs more money and takes more time to go through that process compared to non-historic buildings,” said Erenberger.
The Harborview Project includes 11 sites that span across five acres near Federal Street and East River Drive in Davenport. But the core of the project is renovating the two buildings that were once the Gordon-Van Tine Co. which manufactured pre-made, mail to order homes in the 1900s.
Hundreds of those homes are still found throughout the Quad Cities today.
“The state wants to make sure you’re preserving the building and making sure it will last another 100 years. Gordon-Van tine was a big home builder so a lot of historic homes were pre-made and shipped out on the trains here, There is a big story behind this entire site,” said Eerenberger.
Erenberger’s plan for the site includes 115 apartments, renting anywhere from $900 to $1,700 per month. The building will also be solar powered, have a rooftop swimming pool, movie theater, grocery store and brewery. Perks that Erenberger says hasn’t been done in Davenport.
“This will be unique and a lot of amenities that a lot of apartments in the area don’t offer. This area is pretty spread out with a lot of trees and grass. Plus, with the rooftop pool, fitness center, doorman and it being solar powered - this development will be hard to beat,” added Erenberger.
The building also hosts Isabel Bloom production and other, small businesses and shops.
Erengberger was awarded $8 million in state and $3 million in federal tax credits and solar incentives for the project. It’s new opening date is expected to be late summer of 2018.