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Schwiebert Park boat dock set for nearly $828,000 renovations 3 years after collision damage

The boat dock at Schwiebert Park is seeing new life after a barge or large ice flow collided with it in 2020.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill — After an undetermined collision in 2020 rendered it unusable, the marina dock at Schwiebert Park in Rock Island will see new life.

The City of Rock Island said it was most likely a barge collision or a large ice flow that left the boat dock with catastrophic damages. It opened in 2014 and cost more than $2.2 million to build. $1.5 million came from grants and the remaining money from the city. 

"The city had a million and a half of grant funds, totally funded for this project," Rock Island Public Works Director Mike Bartels said. "And part of the requirement of that grant was, we are responsible for the maintenance of this of this dock for 20 years."

So the City had two choices: either repair the dock or repay the $1.5 million grant back to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

On Monday night, the City voted to spend $827,306.10 on the renovation of the dock. Improvements will include moving the harbor closer to shore, making it more convenient for boat traffic.

"By bringing in that outer section that was the furthest out in the water, we believe it will have less wave action, less impact of possibly being hit by another either barge or ice jam," Bartels said.

Bartels notes that boat traffic is a lot busier during holidays like Memorial Day and Independence Day.

"There's a lot of events that take place here. And other than just Rock Island residents, it benefits everybody in the Quad Cities that utilize the Mississippi River," Bartels said. "We have a lot to offer down here and we hope that these boaters will utilize it."

The city says the project is set to be completed before Memorial Day 2023.

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