Bettendorf, Iowa (KWQC) – Some of you may have noticed a lot of land moving on Middle Road and Forest Grove Drive in Bettendorf.
Right now the area is just a large swath of dirt and soon there will be hotels, fast food restaurants, additional playing fields and a state-of-the-art golf entertainment complex called Iron Tee Golf.
The estimated price for the golf and sports grounds is approximately $45 million. The project was announced about a year ago in February, but has hit some snags due to material cost issues.
Programs include an interactive driving range, sports fields, playground and miniature golf.
Developer Ryan Hintze said the site was perfect for this type of development
“From an entertainment standpoint, you can play a night of golf on a Friday,” Hintze said. “Then go bowling at TBK on a Saturday night. So it’s right up there with the field across the street.”
As a mini-city continues to emerge in the area surrounding the TBK Bank Sports Complex, these attractions are crucial to the city’s economic development.
Former economic development director Jeff Reiter, now an assistant city administrator, said one might expect a different type of development boom in the area.
“You’ll see growth and development continue there,” Reiter said. “You might see a goal or need, if you will, some infill, maybe even some multi-dwelling to support weekday traffic types”
The state of Iowa does not provide the city with business or region-specific sales tax data, but Treasurer Jason Schadt said the stadium development still had a tangible impact.
“This growth translates directly into increased property values that didn’t exist before the project,” Schadt said. “These values allow us to really reduce the rate at which property taxes are collected, which benefits taxpayers across the city.”
By forming community partnerships with groups like the nonprofit First Tee, Hintze says they want more than just entertainment in the Quad Cities.
“Now we’re bringing it to Bettendorf. So we can really start bringing the younger crowd into Iron Tee to start developing the game,” Hintze said.
The project’s timeline has changed since it was first announced.
People may notice an uptick in the fabric of commercial space in the coming months, the developer said.
While the entertainment venue held a groundbreaking ceremony last fall, it will officially break ground sometime this spring.
Iron Tee’s nets and poles will start appearing in the summer with the goal of completely closing the field in the winter. It is now expected to open in the spring of 2023, along with the planned sports complex.
Finally, a new hotel will open in 2025.
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