DDP offers $100,000 to help Davenport businesses shuttered by building collapse

Davenport businesses devastated by the building collapse at 324 Main St. now are receiving help from their downtown neighbors with a $100,000 allocation of relief funds from the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP). The DDP, an affiliate of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, announced Thursday, June 8, that it has created a Downtown Business 324 Main Disaster Relief Fund to help businesses that had to close their doors due to the tragedy. "We are deeply saddened by this devastating event for families and businesses in our community,” DDP’s Executive Director Kyle Carter said in a news release. “This has led to the closure of 18 businesses downtown, each facing their own unique challenges in reopening.” In an interview with the Quad Cities Business Journal on Thursday, Mr. Carter said that not only were those 18 businesses — mostly small businesses — impacted, but the closings also put an estimated 50 people out of work. In addition to the 50 tenants of The Davenport who all lost their homes, he estimated another 50 have been forced to move out of three adjacent apartment buildings, including The Berg, The Bayer and Executive Square amid safety concerns. Mr. Carter proudly pointed out that the $100,000 DDP allotment was approved by its board, which is made up of downtown stakeholders and businesses. The funds, he said, are coming from the downtown businesses’ self-taxing district and being split among those businesses hurt the hardest by the collapse. “The entire thing is tragic,” he said. “Rightfully so, the loss of life, the families and their lost possessions have been the No. 1 priority.” But right now, he said, “our focus is on the representatives of the business community (impacted by the event) and trying to keep them afloat.” Affected businesses can use the new grants to cover losses including equipment, product, revenue, incurred costs and lost wages. Grants will range from $1,500 to an estimated maximum of $15,000, the advocacy group said. In addition, Mr. Carter said the chamber and DDP are partnering with the Quad Cities Community Foundation to accept donations from businesses and individuals to help increase the pool of funds. Financial donations for the new business relief fund are being accepted at qccommunityfoundation.org/downtownbusinessdisasterfund through Friday, June 30. He told the QCBJ that this is a separate fund from the Community Foundation’s Disaster Recovery Fund, which is helping displaced residents. “If we’re lucky, we’ll raise a significant amount through the fund and do a second round of grants, but now we know we have $100,000 to assist,” he said. “Anything we raise through the Community Foundation will be more dollars on top of that.” He stressed that there are “very distinct buckets” of donation funds for Quad Citizens and others to contribute to that will “help the residents, help the businesses or both.” In order to qualify for the funds, a business must meet the following criteria:

• Received official notice to vacate by the City of Davenport.
• Reopen their business within the downtown Davenport Self Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), a self-imposed tax on businesses that supports improvements in the district.

Grant applications for business owners are now available here. Application submissions are due by 5 p.m., Friday, June 16. The initial round of grants is expected to be distributed no later than June 30, 2023. All applications will be evaluated by a special task force made up of DDP board members, who will recommend final award amounts based on economic impact and funding availability. DDP will handle the coordination, administration and distribution of the funds. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the families and individuals impacted by this disaster, including owners of closed businesses and their employees,” chamber CEO LaDrina Wilson said in the release. “We’ve had individuals and businesses ask how they can support the businesses affected by this tragedy, and by partnering with the Quad Cities Community Foundation, we are able to offer this opportunity.” Also on Thursday, the City of Davenport said in a news alert that city staff — coordinating with structural engineers — assessed the buildings adjacent to the collapsed structure and found structural concerns in the Executive Square buildings at 400 and 410 N. Main St. “Out of an abundance of caution, the city ordered the remaining five residential units in the property to be vacated,” the city said, adding that the majority of those residents and business tenants had vacated on May 31. In addition, the city ordered The Davenport apartment building’s owners to install temporary structural shoring to the interior of the 324 Main St. structure ahead of what it called dismantling activities. The DDP relief grant was announced the same day that Community Foundation President Sue Hafkemeyer said its Disaster Recovery Fund had collected $80,000 to date to help impacted residents. She told the QCBJ that those funds are being used to buy mobile phones, gift cards and other items to assist the building’s residents who were displaced when The Davenport partially collapsed. “We look forward to seeing these businesses back open and serving our QC community,” Ms. Wilson said. Mr. Carter also urged Quad Citizens to come downtown and show the support they did during previous downtown floods. “I think everyone is very sympathetic to why they have to be closed and understanding they (the businesses) also are antsy and ready to open as soon as they’re allowed,” he said. “All the downtown businesses could use more support right now,” he added. “We really encourage people to come downtown, support your favorite restaurant and businesses.”