Casino proves Bettendorf magnet

The Lady Luck Casino and Hotel is an asset and a positive influence for revitalizing Bettendorf's downtown and riverfront area, but it's not the only game in town for those who live and work in the city.

Holly Bell, owner of Maxine Parrish Boutique on Kimberly Road, said she moved her business from the Village of East Davenport about five years ago for a number of reasons. "The overall location had great appeal, the access to I-74 made my business readily accessible from all areas of the Quad-Cities within minutes, I liked the Bettendorf neighborhood and I have a heavy client base in Bettendorf, also," she said.

K & K True Value Hardware has been a staple in the downtown area since 1940. Now owned by Don Keller, the business was started by his father, Boyd, who worked for the old Bettendof Power Company. Mr. Keller said K & K has chosen to remain in Bettendorf because of "the quality of the customers and their loyalty. The location is also a major factor."

Bettendorf is "a great community to be a part of with lots of possibilities for the future," said Mr. Keller said, who hopes to see a revival of the downtown.

At present, 120 acres of downtown and riverfront are slated for redevelopment by the city. Exact plans for the area remain unknown, however, the city and community development director Steve VanDyke are working with Civic Partners of Cosa Mesa, Calif., on proposals for the area.

According to a recent poll of Bettendorf citizens, its residents enjoy a low crime rate, excellent schools and library services and a responsive city government.

According to W.T. Grampp of Grampp Realty, a Bettendorf fixture since 1965, "The average sale price of a home in Bettendorf is $167,000, compared to Davenport's $100,000. It is the highest in the Quad-Cities."

Mr. Grampp credits the city's market appeal to its having "virtually no crime, the perception of the best schools, and the growth in Bettendorf. This city has the most new construction with room to grow."

He believes the Lady Luck has had an influence, but only to a small degree of Bettendorf's success.

Mayor Ann Hutchinson said Bettendorf is in "excellent condition with good policies in place."

The mayor said the casino is an asset, especially in attracting other

businesses to the downtown redevelopment area, but the city is not economically dependent upon the riverboat.

"The revenues from the Lady Luck have never been added to the city's general fund. However, the Lady Luck and hotel are a definite asset to the downtown and do have influence in the proposed downtown development. The Lady Luck is responsible for the attraction to Bettendorf's downtown area," she said.

The economy of the Quad-Cities as a whole is not as diversified as it could be, Mayor Hutchinson said.

Where does the mayor see Bettendorf in 20 years? "Focusing for the next 10 years will be heavily on the downtown and the Tanglefoot and Middle Road developments," she said. In the next 20 years, Mayor Hutchinson said she would like to see commerical and retail development as well. "These aspects would increase Bettendorf's tax dollars," she said.

The mayor also would like to see jobs in the technical and financial fields come into the city -- jobs that would "keep our children in Bettendorf." Bettendorf's children, she said, are the city's future.

She said her greatest desire for Bettendorf is to "pull in one major employer that would add 1,000 jobs to the city."

As for the future of Bettendorf, Mark Brockway, senior planner for the city, is part of a group that is studying how to chart the city's growth. The Planning and Zoning Commission, Citizen's Advisory Committee and the Bi-State Regional Planning Commission have been meeting and hope to submit a comprehensive plan to the Review Committee in June.

Mr. Brockway expressed the importance of the 15-member Citizen's Advisory Committee which includes representatives from of a "broad base of interest groups," including schools, development, environment, and housing interests in Bettendorf. The groups began meeting last October and have thus far reviewed only the city's demographics, including environmental or physical conditions of the city, infrastructures such as sewer, water, etc., the transportation system affecting both Bettendorf and surrounding cities, and public service such as the police and fire departments, the library, and solid waste.

As for the potential for expansion, Mr. Grampp said,. "We have room to grow on the north end of the city and the northeast unlike other cities in the area with limited expansion possibilitites."