Hilltop Campus Village Master Plan

Background:

The Hilltop neighborhood has not had a formal master plan in a very long time.  In 2001, a study was created to talk about Main Street, and developing a multi-modal pathway from the riverfront to Vander Veer Park.  In 2006, and in 2010, there were studies to discuss urban commercial areas in the city.  Hilltop is mentioned, but only in snippets.  A strong foundation in revitalizing this part of Davenport is a master plan that will lay out amenities that the neighborhood would like to see, that the neighborhood can use to advocate for public capital investment, and entice private investment in greenspaces in the neighborhood. The Public can find those studies here: City of Davenport

Our Proposal:

The HCV will commission an architect, do extensive outreach to stakeholders and residents, and produce and print a final report that the HCV, and stakeholders, like Ascentra Credit Union, can use to guide community revitalization efforts in this area.  

The architect, or other planning consultant, will create a master plan that will help focus the conversation over this vital area in central Davenport.  The consultant will review current neighborhood zoning, review current infrastructure conditions, and current stakeholder plans for development. Concurrently as part of the planning process, we plan on holding several charrettes, and extensive outreach, where community stakeholders and residents can provide input.  Through this research, it will be the role of the consultant to provide cost estimates for the future projects that come out of this planning process.  

Budget:

The base cost for this project is around $35,500.  That is $29k to hire a consultant.  Additionally we are figuring $6,500 for costs associated with outreach activities and the printing of a final document.  We have secured commitments from the Regional Development Authority ($20k) and the Hilltop Business Association ($2,500).  We have made asks of the City of Davenport ($10k) and the Scott County Regional Authority ($15k).  Our ask from the Ascentra Credit Union Foundation would be $5,000.  

Our goal in fundraising for this project is to demonstrate wide support from the community.  Our solicitation campaign, with 100% success, should gross us around $50k.  If successful this means we will be able to fund concurrent planning projects around this master plan project.  Please see the attached Budget and Fundraising plan.  By showing wide funding support for this project, we are also showing interest for future investment and use by stakeholders in thinking about future planning.

Big Picture:

This project, if successfully completed, will be a case study in collaboration and alignment of interests toward a common vision for the revitalization of this neighborhood.  Through the master planning process, the HCV will be able to define and illustrate amenities that are of interest; refocus the organization on projects that the community will see value in; and lay out the foundation and framework for the organization over the next several years. This project is seen as vital for those reasons. 

Bringing in professional services to facilitate, do the research, and create a final planning document will only add legitimacy to any future projects that the neighborhood brings forward for investment from stakeholders.  The projects that come out of this process will directly impact the residents and property owners in the central corridor of Davenport.  

First Step:

The first step in this undertaking is a survey. Please take a moment and fill out our survey and provide us with feed back. If you are still unsure of the boundaries of the Hilltop, please take a look at this map: MAP. Below is a button that will take you to the survey.