Construction is under-way for the first group of single-family townhomes in downtown Rock Island. Today's groundbreaking is the latest effort by the Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation to bring community housing to the city's downtown area.
Located between the Jackson Square apartments and the Botanical Center, the Garden District will include seven single-family townhomes, as well as a dog park and children's playground.
Renaissance Rock Island President, Brian Hollenback, says the 1-point-8-million-dollar project will be partially paid for with revenue from the city's downtown TIF district.
The townhomes will range from 14-hundred to 16-hundred square feet, and sell for less than 150,000 dollars.
Hollenback says the Garden District will build upon the success of GROWTH's previous downtown developments, including The Locks apartment complex, which opened last November.
GROWTH has already built 228 downtown housing units, with 15 more currently under construction.