A Quad Cities company plans to turn a historic building in downtown Moline into a hotel. In September, Heart of America bought the 5th Avenue building for $1.7 million.
Michelle O’Neill reports the Moline-based company already owns the former Barnett fireplaces building next door.
Summary
Heart of America’s plans for the 5th Avenue building include 98 hotel rooms plus a banquet and conference center. Marketing Director, Michelle Sparkman, says staff are working with the City of Moline to decide what else the downtown area might need, such as a restaurant, store, or mixed use development.
Heart of America usually builds new hotels and restaurants. And she says this will be the first time it’s renovated a building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
The company is helping tenants in the 5th Avenue building relocate, and Sparkman says that’ll take time. She also doesn’t know if Heart of America will choose one of its own hotel brands or a franchise brand. It hopes to complete the project in 2018.
The eight-story building on 5th Avenue was designed by Moline architect, William Schulzke, and was built in 1930.
