Davenport has come up with a new proposal to replace the Rhythm City casino. This afternoon, the city announced instead of buying the casino itself and building a new one on land, a private developer will lead the project.
Last year, the city began working on a deal to buy the casino from Isle of Capri. But many city residents, and the license owner, the Riverboat Development Authority, strongly objected to the plan. So the new proposal is for the Davenport Casino Group, led by local developer Rodney Blackwell, to build a privately-owned casino and hotel along Interstate 80.
Mayor Bill Gluba says the new plan mazimizes the value of the license, and would result in increased revenue for the RDA, the city, and Scott County. Plus a privately-owned land-based operation would pay property taxes to the city and county AND the Davenport School District. The city would still make a sizable investment - 33 million dollars for the land, infrastructure, and buildings.
A press release from the city says Blackwell has submitted the new plan to the RDA.