Downtown Davenport Partnership unveils new branding, highlights future projects
Celebrating what has been done and looking forward to the future was a big theme for the Downtown Davenport Partnership's annual meeting Wednesday morning.
Held inside the Blackhawk Hotel, business leaders, government officials and the like packed in to hear how the DDP has invested in the community and what is coming up this year.
Downtown Davenport is home to more than 270 businesses, 2,700 residents and a workforce of 6,500 people. Together, they contribute to more than $434 million in tax value, according to a news release.
This year, 14 projects represented $13.9 million in investment into the downtown. Those included a new drive-through at Redband on Fourth Street, Boozie's relocation to the Freight House Farmer's Market and the former Boozie's space being transformed into apartments on top, with space for a new restaurant down below. That portion of the building is currently under construction.
Projects like that are contributing to the more than $35.3 million in projects underway, said DDP Director Kyle Carter. On Main Street, Common Chord and the Redstone Room will be relocating to a new ground-floor space, creating a more visible and accessible home for live music and community events in the heart of downtown.
Additional projects will include the Executive Square apartments reopening soon, a Barrel House building expansion and redevelopment of the former Boozie's location at 114 W. 3rd Steet.
"We've got all the right pieces there, but this is a good example of making sure that we never take our eye off the ball. Twenty years ago, we did a lot of work to lift this core up and get into the change that you saw," Carter said. "I think it's very, very important that we never just assume that you can plant in the mission accomplished banner and say that you're done with downtown."
Other big plans for downtown are heading westward this year, with a focus on reviving the west end of Davenport. Energy has already been heading that direction, Carter said, with a new record store and club going into the former Bruce Furniture building and Mary's on 2nd has been purchased and transformed into a new bar, Together on 2nd.
"There's a lot of work right around Marquette Street that's already feeling good. One of our goals is to make Marquette feel more like part of downtown, but part of the whole idea of what we were trying to do ... is just the start of what I think you can see moving forward over the years, but there is momentum in downtown," Carter said.
The DDP also announced new branding for downtown, with a logo of its own. The new brand was designed to reflect Davenport's character, with one logo featuring a clock tower. The time on the clock is 6:36, or 18:36 in military time; the year Davenport was founded.
"The story of Downtown Davenport has always been a local one," said Carter in a news release. "The businesses, property owners, nonprofits and residents who invest here continue to shape a downtown that is authentic and undeniably resilient. Our brand reflects that long history of driving new ideas and constant evolution, and I'm eager to see how we write the next chapter together."
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 8:37 PM.