On two ends of Second Street in downtown Davenport, two major projects to renovate historic buildings into new apartments are underway.
Between the Centennial and Government Bridges, the two-story Bowstring Lofts (601 W. 2nd St.) will create 19 residential apartments and two commercial units, and the four-story Bucktown Lofts (225 E. 2nd St.) will have 21 apartments and seven commercial spaces. Bowstring is looking to open by end of February and Bucktown this summer.
“Residential development, both historic renovations and new construction, continues to be a core driver of economic growth downtown that supports our commercial sector,” Downtown Davenport Partnership executive director Kyle Carter said Tuesday.
“This is completely in sync with national trends in downtown development, and you can make a good case we’re well ahead of the curve at this stage,” he said. “Downtown Davenport has proven to be incredibly resilient, overcoming a variety of challenges in recent years, and investments of this scale show the continued confidence in the market.”
Downtown boats 1,700 total residential units total right now, with 366 units under construction, Carter said. The most significant new opening from the last year or so was the Kahl Lofts (64 units) in the 10-story building at 326 W. 3rd St., which has the restored Capitol Theatre at street level.
2023 was primarily a year where a lot of construction got underway, Carter said, noting Bowstring and Bucktown among several major apartment complexes to open this year – including the four-story, 185-unit Federal Pointe at 450 LeClaire St., and a four-story, 121-unit apartment building at 3rd and Main streets (the former site of a Wells Fargo drive through, next to the Main Library).
Remaking history
The Bowstring Lofts is a 22,000-square-foot building and almost all the planned units will have unique floor plans – two-bedroom, one-bedroom and studio apartments and a large community atrium space at the center of the building under trusses and skylights as well as two commercial units with historic/new storefront windows facing 2nd and Western streets.
“Many of the apartments are true two-level lofts with private entry as well as atrium access and many have patios,” developer Bill Nielsen said recently. “All of the interior construction is new and all have new appliances – in-unit washer and dryer, refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, disposal.
“Almost all of the historic brick on the exterior as well as interior, in unit, brick has been preserved and incorporated into the industrial chic feel of the building including stone and quartz countertops in all residences,” he said.
The target is to have the building ready for new residents to move in February 2024, with some exterior work to be completed in the spring, Nielsen said.
For the previous 40 years, the building housed a wholesale flower distribution company (Tri-City Florist Supply and Florist Distributing Inc.). The building was originally constructed in 1927 for the International Harvester Company for their first truck sales and service facility.
Previous to International Harvester Trucks, the site was developed as an apartment building by Celestine Fejervary (one of the donors of Fejevary Park in west Davenport), a daughter of a Hungarian nobleman who moved to Davenport in 1853.
It’s now called Bowstring Lofts because early on, Nielsen learned from their architect, Andrew Dasso (Streamline Architects of East Moline) that the arched steel roof support structure, trusses, are known as “Bowstring Trusses.” They are used in buildings and bridges to span longer distances. They were configuring two-level lofted apartments built up into the bowstring trusses, so “Bowstring Lofts” seemed appropriate, Nielsen said.
Much shorter than the official name on the National Register of Historic Places application — International Harvester Truck Sales and Service Station, he noted.
For more information on the Bowstring property manager, click HERE.
Bucktown Lofts. 225 E. 2nd St., is being totally rehabbed from its former home as Bucktown Center for the Arts, which used to house art galleries and studios on the first two levels and condominiums on the upper levels. Formerly co-owned by MidCoast Fine Arts, the art spaces closed in early 2020 after the nonprofit MidCoast disbanded.
The Bucktown building was built in 1910 as the J.F. Kelly wholesale grocery warehouse, on the site of the famous Brick Munro’s Pavilion and Summer Garden.
Bucktown was one of Davenport’s most colorful districts, especially in the late 19th century and early 20th century. “From dozens of brothels and speakeasies, to manufacturing, distribution, automotive and retail, Bucktown has played many roles in downtown’s development,” says a history of the building from developer Y&J Properties.
The building is entirely vacant and being redeveloped for a variety of 21 apartments – ranging from 570-1,310-square-foot, one-bedrooms; to 1,160 and 1,233-square-foot two-bedrooms; and one 1,650-square-foot three-bedroom – with rents ranging from $925 to $2,250 a month. Seven ground-floor commercial units will range from 160 to 2,000 square feet.
Bucktown amenities will include most with riverfront views, high ceilings, open floor plans, in-unit washer/dryer, stainless steel appliances, smart locks and access for extra security.
Developer Neil Girish Desai said recently they hope to complete the project by late summer 2024. For more information on this property manager, click HERE.
“For commercial, we are looking to bring back the community-centric focus of the old Bucktown building by making it a haven for small businesses, driven by experiences, services, and retail,” he said.
“Second Street and the Motor Row District has grown so much with restaurants, nightlife, experiences, and much more. We want to double down on this by bringing back the great history of Bucktown’s retail / services that existed in the 2000s and 2010s and make this the heartbeat of downtown Davenport,” Desai said.
“We have partnered with Greenstar Construction to complete this historic renovation. They’ve been a great partner to us in restoring historical buildings in downtown Davenport and Burlington,” he added.
“Even though costs are going up, we are bullish on the future of downtown Davenport and want to continue to invest in the people and the community,” Desai said.
For more information on downtown Davenport, click HERE.
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