Entertainment development continues in Bettendorf

BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) - Some may have noticed a lot of land moving around on Middle Road and Forest Grove Drive in Bettendorf.

What right now is just a big plot of dirt and mud in that area, will soon be a hotel, fast food restaurant, additional sports fields and a state-of-the-art golf entertainment venue named Iron Tee Golf.

The golf and sports venue has an estimated price tag of about $45 million. Announced about a year ago in February, the project has hit some snags due to material costs.

Plans include an interactive driving range, sports fields, an arcade and mini golf.

Developer Ryan Hintze said the location is perfect for this kind of development

“From an entertainment aspect, you can golf one night on a Friday,” Hintze said. “Then go to TBK and bowl on a Saturday night. So it kind of just fits hand in hand with the site, right across the street.”

As a mini-city continues to pop up in the area around the TBK Bank Sports Complex, the attractions have been critical to the city’s economic expansion.

Former Economic Development Director and now Assistant City Administrator, Jeff Reiter said people might expect a different kind of boom in development around the area.

“You’re going to see the growth and development continue out there,” Reiter said. “You may see a goal or a need, if you will, for some infill, and even potentially some multi-residential to support that weekday type of traffic”

The State of Iowa doesn’t provide sales tax data from specific businesses or areas to cities, however, Finance Director Jason Schadt said there still is a tangible impact from development by the sports complex.

“That growth has directly translated into increased property values that weren’t there before the project took place,” Schadt said. “Those values have allowed us to actually reduce property tax levy rates, which benefits taxpayers throughout the city.”

With community partnerships with groups like First Tee, a nonprofit aiming to empower children through golf, Hintze said they’re not just looking to develop entertainment in the Quad Cities.

“Now we’re bringing it to Bettendorf. So we can really start to bring the younger crowd into Iron Tee to start to grow the game,” Hintze said.

The timeline for the project has changed since it was first announced.

Developers said people may notice structures going up for the commercial space in the coming months.

Although the entertainment venue held a ceremonial groundbreaking last fall, it will officially break ground sometime this spring.

Nets and poles for Iron Tee will start popping up in the summer, with the goal to have the venue fully enclosed by the winter. It is now anticipated to open by spring 2024, along with the planned sports complex.

Finally, the new hotel is set to open by 2025.

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