BETTENDORF, Iowa — Bettendorf is moving forward with a new pedestrian bridge connecting development areas near the TBK Bank Sports Complex. Currently, an $85 million expansion is underway that includes an Iron Tee Gold Driving Range, another indoor athletics facility and a hotel.
"We've really created a corridor that's just a hub for tourism," Bettendorf's Economic Development Director Jeff Reiter said.
When the TBK Bank Sports Complex opened in 2018, even Reiter couldn't picture it's immense success. As the area booms with development, a final piece to the puzzle is bridging the gap between it all.
"We really wanted to have an iconic entry into Bettendorf," Reiter said. "With this gateway pedestrian bridge, it's really going to be something that's going to set us apart and continue to help us show off that corridor and show off to people along Interstate 80 coming into Bettendorf the cool things we have going on."
The roughly $10 million project will begin next year. Bettendorf will use bonds to pay for part of the project. Reiter says the bonds will be paid back with taxes collected on the developments in the TBK Sports Complex Area.
"By utilizing the tax dollars that are generated by this new commercial development, it's giving us the capacity to finance these bonds to construct this bridge without raising taxes here in Bettendorf," Reiter said. Bettendorf was denied both state and federal grants to cover part of the bridge's cost.