Downtown Davenport to Unveil New Emerson Place Alley Beautification
Alleys have long been known as hidden, dark, out-of-the-way places, not to be advertised. But not according to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
In its second major QC alley transformation in the past year, now the chamber’s Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) will unveil a major placemaking enhancement to the Emerson Place alley Thursday afternoon — featuring decorative lighting and permanent steel archways, knitting the neighborhood together and recognizing its historic roots as Motor Row and Bucktown.
The downtown master plan project began in summer 2023 with the installation of a large-scale mural created by five regional artists during the Alternating Currents Festival. That bold artistic statement served as the first step in reimagining the Emerson Place corridor, a uniquely urban alleyway linking East 2nd Street and River Drive between Iowa and Perry Streets, according to a QC Chamber news release.
The five murals – painted within just four days during the 2023 Alternating Currents festival – are permanently on the garage doors at the rear side of the building at 221 E. 2nd St. (along Emerson Place), which is home to Nehlsen Creative and H.L. By Design. The murals were supervised by veteran QC mural artists Heidi Sallows and Atlanta Dawn.
Some of the 2023 Alternating Currents murals (right) along the alley, south of East 2nd Street in downtown Davenport (photo by Jonathan Turner).
Now, the final phase of the beautification is complete with the installation of decorative steel archways and ambient string lighting. A public ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, May 29 at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Pershing Avenue and Emerson Place alley.
“We’re proud that every element of this deeply local project was produced 100% within the community,” said Kyle Carter, DDP’s executive director. “The space will literally shine each night, illuminating the adjacent businesses while providing a safer and more beautiful alleyway that’s highly visible downtown. It can also serve as a space to host creative activations and special events.”
A panoramic nighttime view of the Motor Row area.
The archways pay homage to the neighborhood’s complex story as a historic district, with a nod to its duality as a hub for both the emerging automobile industry, as well as its earlier origins as an infamous home to bawdy saloons and entertainment, the DDP release said.
Today, the East 2nd Street “Motor Row” neighborhood stands as one of downtown’s fastest growing mixed corridors featuring retail, restaurants and housing.
The area is formally named the Motor Row and Industrial Historic District because in the early 1900s through about 1960, it was an area of businesses catering to cars, including service stations, auto dealerships, and tire and auto stores, according to the nomination for the 2019 listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It also was home to light industry, wholesalers and warehouses.
The area is roughly bound by River Drive to the south, Bechtel Park and Government Bridge to the east, 3rd Street to the north and Perry to the west.
Bucktown Lofts opened earlier this year in the 1910 four-story J.F. Kelly Building, 225 E. 2nd St., which formerly housed the Bucktown Center for the Arts and closed in 2020. Located in one of Davenport’s more colorful districts, the Bucktown area (in the late 19th century and early 20th century) once hosted dozens of brothels and speakeasies, as well as the later manufacturing, distribution, automotive, and retail. The Bucktown district has been at the core of Davenport’s ongoing socio-economic development, according to the Bucktown Lofts website.
A new decorative archway at one end of the Emerson Place alley (photo by Jonathan Turner).
DDP invested $180,000 in the total project for Emerson Place alley, which includes $52,000 of donated in-kind labor and materials provided by Davenport Electric Contract Company (DECCO).
“DECCO and Barry VanBlaircom’s generous donation and project management are a huge reason this downtown master plan goal came to life,” said Carter. “Combined with the skill and expertise of all six local vendors, this project showcases what we can build right here in the QC when we think creatively, get engaged and stick to the plan.”
The Last Picture House and the downtown riverfront.
The project was built entirely by local hands:
- Howard Steel, based in Davenport’s west end, fabricated custom archways and beams.
- Shive-Hattery provided engineering support.
- Davenport Electric Company designed and installed the lighting and provided project management.
- Streamline Architects and Oertel Metal Works contributed to early design and planning.
- Hand-drawn lettering on each sign was created by local artist Johnnie Cluney, widely known for his Daytrotter portraits and the Arsenal Bridge welcome sign.
The alley elements include:
- Decorative lighting enhances safety and nighttime ambiance
- Historic-inspired archways highlighting Motor Row & Bucktown neighborhood history
In January, the Rock Island Downtown Alliance (also an affiliate of the QC Chamber) received a High Five award for Community Development & Reinvestment for the renovation of Arts Alley from the Development Association of Rock Island (DARI).
The $534,000 project, funded by the city of Rock Island and the state of Illinois (unveiled in November 2024), transformed the outdoor pedestrian space at 1719 2nd Ave. with the addition of two large-scale murals, vendor stalls, decorative lighting and other improvements.
Downtown Davenport and downtown Rock Island are both undergoing renovations featuring new scenic attractions and views.
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