University News
WIU-QC Riverfront Campus Groundbreaking Rescheduled for March 31
March 18, 2010
MOLINE, IL – Due to a scheduling conflict, the Western Illinois University-Quad Cities groundbreaking ceremony has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 31. The official groundbreaking for Building One will begin at 1 p.m. at the Riverfront Campus on River Drive in Moline. The event is open to the public.
Individuals wishing to attend the groundbreaking should park at the iWireless Center. Shuttles will begin at noon.
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March 12, 2010
Groundbreaking: WIU-QC Riverfront Campus
MOLINE, IL – Are you ready to be a part of history? Western Illinois University's vision of a Riverfront Campus will be one step closer to reality when the official groundbreaking for Building One takes place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 23 at the Riverfront Campus on River Drive in Moline.
"This day would not be possible without our many Quad Cities partners, including the initial donation of land from Deere & Company, and the subsequent generosity of the Moline Foundation and John Deere Foundation" said Western President Al Goldfarb. "I greatly appreciate the efforts of the legislature and the numerous individuals and organizations throughout the Quad Cities for their continued support of the WIU-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus."
In December 2009, Gov. Pat Quinn visited the WIU-Quad Cities 60th Street campus in Moline to announce the renovation of approximately 60,000-square-feet of space for the WIU-QC Riverfront campus. The funding is part of the Illinois Jobs Now! capital plan, which was signed into law in Summer 2009 by Gov. Quinn. Bids for the renovation of Building One were announced after the first of the year, followed by bond sales at the end of the first quarter. The bid process is currently underway, and will be announced later this spring. Construction is anticipated to begin May 1.
"The public is invited to attend this momentous occasion," said Joe Rives, vice president of Quad Cities, planning and technology at WIU. "We are excited that this day is near. This event marks an exciting new chapter in WIU-Quad Cities' history as we further expand academic excellence and educational opportunities in the Quad Cities region and beyond."
Building One, the former John Deere Tech Center, will support the College of Business and Technology, including the School of Engineering that is currently housed in The Caxton Building; academic and student services; and University administration. Building Two will allow for the continued growth of the Quad Cities campus and enable academic programs in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services and Fine Arts and Communication to be part of the Riverfront Campus.
According to Rives, the Riverfront Campus expansion will allow WIU-QC to further its mission as a comprehensive public university for the region by serving more than 3,000 Quad Cities-area students. WIU-QC currently serves more than 1,400 students. The WIU-QC Riverfront Campus, which is located on 20 acres of land donated by Deere & Company, will focus on coursework in technology, business, health care and education, in addition to offering the MBA program and other programs that meet identified needs.
"We look forward to completing the renovations of Building One and beginning operations on the Riverfront Campus," Rives said.
Western has conducted classes in the Quad Cities for nearly 50 years and serves more than 1,300 students at its current 60th Street campus in Moline and in rented space in other facilities. The current building was opened in 1997, and by 1998, the University was renting space to meet additional course demand.
The City of Moline is also revitalizing the area surrounding the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus into an Urban Technology Corridor.
"We will continue to be partners in the ongoing economic development of the Quad Cities," Goldfarb said. "We look forward to being a part of the Moline riverfront re-development initiative and other partnerships that bring other university-friendly amenities to the Urban Technology Corridor."
To view architect's renderings of the proposed WIU-QC Riverfront Campus renovation, visit visit wiu.edu/qc/community/campus.php and wiu.edu/users/caitwp/planning/plan/riverfront/index.html.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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