University News
WIU-QC Riverfront Campus Receives State Funding
January 9, 2006
MOLINE, IL Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced today that Western Illinois University's Quad Cities Riverfront Campus in Moline will receive $2.4 million in Opportunity Returns planning funds to renovate the 60,000-square-foot former John Deere Tech Center on River Drive in Moline.
According to WIU President Al Goldfarb, the 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. The total cost of renovating the initial building on the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus is $15.2 million.
"I want to thank Gov. Blagojevich for his investment in the expansion of the Quad Cities Riverfront campus. With his support, we will be able to proceed with our plans to bring a comprehensive public university to the Quad Cities, Goldfarb said.
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 its MBA program and other programs that meet identified needs.
Western has conducted classes in the Quad Cities for more than 25 years and serves more than 1,200 students at its current campus on John Deere Road 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. Planning funds of $2.4 million were included in the FY2006 recommendations by the Governor and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
I want to express my deep appreciation to the Governor for supporting one of our universitys key initiatives, Goldfarb added.
The City of Moline will also be revitalizing the area surrounding the campus into an Urban Technology Corridor. Adjacent to the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus is a vacant industrial warehouse site and underutilized property that will be redeveloped into a Technology Transfer Center, which will be formed to advance local research into business development opportunities and other development.
To view architects renderings of the proposed WIU-QC Riverfront Campus renovation visit www.wiu.edu/qc/riverfront/structures.shtml.
For more information, contact University Relations at 309/298-1993 or Andrew Ross of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity at 217/814-8193. For the official announcement visit www.illinois.gov/gov
State of Illinois website
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
Connect with us: