(The following story appeared on the CBS4 website on July 30, 2010.)
Chicago — We’re getting a first look at what the Amtrak Station in Moline will look like. Leaders are branding the Amtrak green line to Chicago, to the Great Lakes, Great River Connection.
“Our ability to connect to a global growing city of Chicago to the Quad Cities is a redefining opportunity for the passenger rail service,” said Jim Bowman of Renew Moline.
Bowman says the plans for the new “green” station will be a renovation of the O’Rourke building and an addition of a grand passenger hall, staging area and ways to connect people to the Quad City attractions.
“I think it will be something that will be a landmark building in the downtown, it’ll be unique,” said Dean Proctor, the architect on the project.
The entire project will cost around 16-million dollars and despite being turned down for their first federal grant request earlier this year, officials are pushing on.
The City of Moline will contribute 1.9 million and the state has promised 2.9 million in pending federal grants.
IDOT will apply for federal stimulus funds for the remaining 12-million.
“We’re pretty confident that the federal government is going to come through on this with the tiger grant,” explains Bowman, “This is spreading throughout the community in terms of support and excitement from the colleges and universities to our corporate businesses they are excited what this could mean to our region.”