Chamber reacts to Davenport State of City address

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson delivered the State of the City address on Thursday, June 4. The Mayor's address highlighted the investments Davenport has made in economic development, placemaking, finances and public safety. The Chamber looks forward to continuing its work with the City of Davenport and appreciates Mayor Matson for his years of partnership and service as his Mayoral tenure comes to an end.  

Economic Development 

Mayor Matson spoke extensively about the City’s economic development progress, including securing Fair Oaks Foods, the Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center and nearly $1 billion of private sector investments at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center. Matson discussed the concept of “setting the table” for future development at the West Locust Business Park by building sewer lines and developing the infrastructure that will be needed to prepare for future growth.  

We are excited to continue working to attract large projects to the City of Davenport and applaud the foresight to develop infrastructure in preparation for future development. 

Placemaking  

Davenport is aggressively pursuing placemaking initiatives, dedicating significant funding to neighborhood parks and bike trails and launching major projects like Main Street Landing. Mayor Matson highlighted these investments, including the Figge's new Evanescent Field exhibit, as crucial for attracting visitors and a skilled workforce to the city. 

We support the investment in these high-value amenities and we are thrilled to see them start coming to fruition. 

Finances and Public Safety 

Mayor Matson highlighted Davenport's strong financial position, citing credit upgrades and national recognition for the Finance Department. He noted that credit agencies have assigned Davenport a "Stable" or "Positive" credit rating. The Mayor also emphasized significant strides in public safety, with various initiatives contributing to a reduction in crime. These include the co-responder program (Davenport Police Dept. and Vera French Community Mental Health), the Group Violence Intervention program, the Good Neighbor program and the early successes of the Downtown Davenport Partnership's Safety Patrol pilot program. These public safety improvements are crucial for downtown businesses and we anticipate continued progress.