Up and down Gaines St. from Centennial Bridge to W. Locust St. the streets and boulevards are lighting up thanks to a group known as EGG.
This project includes the purchase and installation of new energy efficient LED decorative lights, over 80 flower beds, new trees plus the repair and updating of streets and sidewalks.
Edmund Gaines was a military man in the early 1800’s. Gaines St. is named after him, and the acronym EGG stands for the Edmund Gaines Group. This group consists of a group of representatives from a variety of civic and neighborhood organizations – from the City of Davenport and Scott County to the GC&HHDA , Quad City Chamber, German American Heritage Center, and St. Ambrose University, to name a portion of those involved. The express purpose of EGG is the streetscaping of the Gaines St. Corridor.
In the 4+ years EGG has been meeting, resources for the lights have come from grants awarded by Riverboat Development Authority (RDA) and the City of Davenport’s Community Partnership Program (CPP). Three blocks of the green shepherd’s hook design were installed in 2010, and two more blocks will be installed in 2011. The ultimate goal is lighting through the corridor to W. Locust St. The project will move as quickly as money is obtained for the purchase and installation of lights.
Grant money for the flower beds has come through Alderman’s Beautification Funds, Community Foundation of Great River Bend, Scott County in Bloom and Scott County Regional Authority. Volunteers fill out the labor part of the project.
The residents along Gaines St. are proud and thankful for the project “lighting up” the neighborhood and looking forward to the day when lights get to their block. Gaines St. resident Ryan Berger says: “Driving up Gaines St. reminds me of the Netherlands with all of the blooming tulips.”