With the intent to improve Davenport's riverfront, workers started demolishing a former hotel downtown.
The demolition started Wednesday morning, November 18, 2015 on the vacant Howard Johnson Hotel at 227 LeClaire Street.
Local developers leading Riverwatch LLC, were chosen to redevelop the site, according to a statement from the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP). The plan is to build a $20 million multi-story office complex with a restaurant and retail outlet that overlooks the Mississippi River.
"Demolition of the current building and construction of Riverwatch Place will serve as a catalyst to further enhance this unique and highly visible downtown gateway," said one of the Riverwatch LLC leaders, John Ruhl.
The project will also be supported by tax credits from the State of Iowa as well as property tax reimbursements from the Davenport City Council.
In 2014, the DDP decided that would make a change to the area and "reinvent the downtown gateway." Taking down the building is something that council members wanted long before the demolition started.
"It was difficult to get it out of the hands of the previous owner," said 3rd Ward Alderman Bill Boom, "it was kind of tied-up legally, so with that out of the way and ownership transferred, now it's time for demolition."
The demolition was expected to be complete by the end of 2015. Construction of the new building was set to begin in the spring of 2016.