DAVENPORT, Iowa - Eastern Iowa Community Colleges have taken a step that will create an urban campus, transforming two empty bank buildings into new college classrooms.
The heart of Davenport is about to get a jolt.
"This is a fast changing world and you got to keep up moving ahead or you fall behind and so we`re moving ahead," said Chancellor, Don Doucette.
EICC will create a new urban campus at the corner of Third Street between Main and Brady streets in downtown Davenport.
"We`re helping to catalyze the rebirth of downtown Davenport with this," said Doucette.
It's actually a high-profile move, leaving the Kahl building the classes in the downtown bus transfer station to a pair of former banks. The buildings will be renovated into a single campus with 25 classrooms and seven computer labs to hold 1,500 students.
The project has been a plan in the works for almost two years, the college's board of trustees took a big step by signing off the sale of the two buildings to a foundation.
"Essentially we`re selling the two bank buildings to our foundation that was created specifically to manage and create the legal structure necessary to build the campus," said Doucette.
The foundation will then eventually sell it back to the college, a move that allows for tax credit programs.
"We`re somewhat under served to the community despite our best efforts so we`re trying to raise the level of service that we provide to our current urban constituents and also attract new students," said Doucette.