BETTENDORF, Iowa -- A Quad City motel with more than 500 police calls per year will soon be torn down.
In the next 60 days, demolition is expected to begin on the Twin Bridges Motor Inn, which sits at the foot of the I-74 Bridge in downtown Bettendorf.
During the annual State of the City address on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Mayor Bob Gallagher called it the most exciting project of the year.
"The Twin Bridges has fallen into such a state of disrepair that it's not only an eyesore, but it's a public safety hazard. Over 500 calls a year, police calls, happen at that location. That's too much," said Gallagher.
Once the inn is torn down, a pair of five-story buildings will go up on the site. They'll house 135 market rate apartments, complete with a rooftop fire pit.
Gallagher is optimistic that the Twin Bridges project will spur further development downtown.
"That's our stalwart, that's the one," said Gallagher. "That is the capstone of our planned development on the Mississippi River."
At downtown businesses like Hairazors Salon and Spa, workers will be happy to see the inn torn down. Stylist Larry Hopkey said he'd like to see more people living and walking around in the downtown area.
"Right now, we're in a corner here where people drive by, and they still don't see us," said Hopkey. "We'd like to see more entertainment, more restaurants, a few more shops."
Gallagher said riverfront and downtown development is one of the city's top five priorities for the year ahead.
The Paddle Wheel Bar & Grill, which is attached to the Twin Bridges Motor Inn, has a separate owner.
Mayor Gallagher said the city is working hard to hopefully move the bar to a new location downtown.