2009 MIDWEST FIELD TRIPS
Muscatine, IA: The Right Place to Grow (Population 23,000)
Muscatine was destined to have a commercial purpose. With its abundant natural resources and prime location along the Mississippi River, early settlers saw the area's vast potential. As early as 1834, when Muscatine County's first official resident, Ben Nye, built a saw mill, new residents were busy building homesteads and businesses, fulfilling their American Dreams here on the prairie. Moving forward, Muscatine's history can be told in a series of economic booms and busts, yet the resilience and the ingenuity of our residents have always led to a brighter future for all.
Today, Muscatine is home to several corporate giants and smaller companies who provide thousands of good paying jobs, in both the white and blue collar sector. People still move to the area to fulfill their dreams and raise their families. Muscatine is striving to meet the demands of its residents in terms of housing, education, infrastructure, safety and recreational opportunities.
Muscatine has transformed its visual image in the past decade by revitalizing its parks and public spaces. It seems one great idea leads to another, as several community projects moved forward with public and private funding. Come visit with Mayor Richard O'Brien and other community leaders who will share with you the in's and out's of planning, fundraising and working with volunteers.
The field trip will include a visit to the Muscatine History & Industry Center to see how one great idea has become Muscatine's #1 attraction. The group will then take a community tour to see some of the projects that have been completed through public and private funding.
Columbus Junction, IA: Flood of 2008 (Population 1,900)
The flood of 2008 was devastating to many parts of Iowa including Louisa County. In the southeast, near the small town of Oakville, it created a huge residential and agricultural crisis. In Columbus Junction the business community bears the brunt of the disaster. Columbus Junction is located just below where the Cedar and Iowa Rivers join. Between downtown and the Iowa River is a commercial area home to more than two dozen of the community's businesses and non-profits and the water treatment plant. One giant levee was erected to try to save the area but it failed and all but a few buildings on higher ground were flooded. The water treatment plant was shut down for nearly a week, crews managed to keep water flowing by connecting to a well at the nearby Tyson facility.
This year's field trip will focus on how the preparations for the flood unfolded and efforts the community is making to recover and rebuild. There were many lessons learned that we will share about volunteerism and working together as one community; media relations (Columbus Junction was on the covers of the New York Times, Washington Post and LA Times all in the same day!); the importance of communication and yes, even meetings; politics, partnerships (who knew how useful anthropology students could be?) and keeping a sense of humor.
Tour hosts will provide background information and answer questions on the bus as we travel to Columbus Junction. We will begin at the Civic Center with a power point presentation and panel discussion. This will be followed by a tour of the flooded area, now in various stages of clean up and reconstruction. The day will end with a delicious meal, showcasing Latin American foods, catered by the Civic Society of Columbus.
Quad Cities Riverfront Tour
The Quad Cities is a showcase of what can be accomplished in Riverfront Development on former industrial sites. Please join us for this expanded tour of the Quad Cities riverfront. You will see successful projects in housing, office development, arts and entertainment, and even environmental stewardship in Moline, East Moline, Rock Island, and Davenport. You will get the inside-story on the ups and downs of implementing these projects.
The tour will begin with a brief overview of riverfront projects presented at the Stoney Creek Inn. We will then step outside the hotel to discuss the Bass Street Landing project of which the Stoney Creek Inn is one phase. We will learn about a major upcoming phase, the Kone Tower, an 18-floor mixed-use building that will include retail space, offices, hotel rooms, and condominiums. Next we will travel via bus to the Quarter, an upscale housing development in East Moline. Then we will visit the Sylvan Slough Natural Area, a unique five-acre site in Rock Island blending education, history and environmental stewardship. The Sylvan Slough Natural Area began as an effort by the City of Rock Island to clean up three blighted industrial properties ravaged by fire and neglect. The site was transformed through innovative techniques, including biioremediation, a method of cleaning contaminated soil and reincorporating it into the site as compost. The Natural Area which opened to the public in October 2007, has an active fish spawning area, natural plantings and migratory waterfowl. Finally, the tour concludes with a visit to tourist and cultural sites in Davenport.
The Quad Cities are a national model of success in Riverfront and Brownfield development. This is an excellent learning opportunity. It is a must-see for any community leader interested in riverfront or downtown development or dealing with a brownfield site.
