A special district in Davenport is trying to make itself more visible. Tuesday the Hilltop Campus Village celebrated the posting of a new "welcome" sign at 5th and Brady streets.
Village Director, Scott Tunnicliff, says this is the first of many signs he hopes to put up, promoting the district which is just north of downtown Davenport. It was formed in 2009 by the city, Palmer College, Saint Ambrose University, and the Hilltop Business Association, hoping to revitalize an area that had been declining for decades.
"The city felt it was important because they felt a broadening and deepening of the tax base was important. I think Palmer College felt it was important to have revitalization occur around their campus because it made recruiting that much more easy."
He thinks Palmer and Saint Ambrose also wanted to have stores, bars, and restaurants close to their campuses. These businesses also serve nearby residents.
The Hilltop Campus Village covers 95 square blocks, from 5th Street north to Lombard, and between Perry and Ripley streets. And it's a member of the Iowa Main Street program that's dedicated to preservation, re-development, and re-vitalization.
