The Gold Coast bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River present a unique setting for walks, steps, and lighting. Previously the Gold Coast – Hamburg Historic District Association (GC-HHDA) has been instrumental in the planning and fund raising for the Ripley St. and the Western Ave. streets and steps. These areas have been adorned with decorative lighting, period railings and entries and plantings. The Scott St. hill is now the focus of a similar project.
The first phase of the Scott St. Hill project was the entry at the top of the steps at the alley between W. 6th and W. 7th St., completed in 2011 through grants from the Davenport Alderman’s Beautification funds and United Neighbors. The entry includes a decorative concrete base designed as limestone topped by a period iron railing. Though similar to the Western Ave. entry, the base and railing are shorter and wider to adapt to the topography of the area, and there is no arch. Kelly Construction and Boyler’s Ornamental Iron are responsible for building the entry.
The second phase of the project is the decorative railing, again similar to the railings on Western Ave. and Ripley St. The lower railing was completed in 2012 through a grant from Davenport’s Community Partnership Program. In the fall of 2012, the GC-HHDA was awarded a grant from the Riverboat Development Group (RDA) and work is now completed on the upper half of the railing by Boyler’s Ornamental Iron.
One of the GC-HHDA goals for 2013 includes completion of the Scott St. project, decorative LED lighting. Grants are presently being written for completion of this third phase.