ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Rock Island is closing in on a deal with RiverStone Group that would lead to the City acquiring 538 acres of land from the local mining group. It will be the largest expansion of land that Rock Island has seen in over 20 years.
"Rock Island as a community is very fortunate to have as much wetland in and near it as it does. It's an amenity that a lot of people maybe don't think of," Rock Island's economic development director Miles Brainard said. "As a community, we should really strive to advance it as an amenity in the minds of our community members and really promote it as kind of a regional attraction."
The deal will only cost the city $1. Brainard said city officials will explore the possible ideas on what they will do with the land.
"It doesn't have as much traditional development potential. However, it does offer a lot of interesting recreational opportunities."
Those recreational opportunities included hunting and wildlife observation.
City officials are hoping to work alongside the Rock Island County Forest Preserve to prevent any harm that can be caused while working on the land, especially the preservation of endangered species.
"There's a number of endangered species, and this is critical habitat for species too, which has an economic impact for us," Brainard said. "People travel to the Quad Cities to see bald eagles and other species which are making their home there."
The city is hoping to reach a deal with RiverStone Group by the end of November. They will then explore their options on what the land can be used for.