People who worked at the old Case I-H plant in East Moline never had river views like this. This afternoon, city officials, developers, and others will cut a ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of a new Hyatt hotel. It's the anchor for "The Bend of the Mighty Mississippi," the development project that's transforming the riverfront where farm equipment was made for decades.
Ray Stoddard is the General Manager of the new Hyatt Place Hyatt House, which he says is two hotels in one.
More than half of the 230 rooms are slightly larger than regular hotel rooms.
The rest are for longer stays and feature kitchens and extra storage.
The $40 million hotel will employ up to 70 people. It features a ninth floor lounge called the "River Room" with spectacular views of the Mississippi River where it takes a turn.
Stoddard also says every room has a view of the river. The decor is modern, and the design team worked hard to make it special by using photographs of the Quad Cities as art.
The Hyatt Place Hyatt House ribbon cutting will be held at 3 pm, with an open house to follow until 6 pm. It's a full service hotel with a restaurant, pool, fitness center, and plenty of free parking.
International Harvester opened a factory on the site in 1926. After the 1980s farm crisis, the plant changed owners. It eventually closed for good in 2004.
