Washington Square Apartments
Moline
A group of five rowhouses constructed in 1872 to house executives of the John Deere Company had suffered decades of deterioration, a series of threatened demolitions, foreclosure and had sat vacant for six years. In 2009, the building at 316 17th St. was acquired by the City of Moline with TIF and Federal stimulus funds for rehabilitation for mixed-income apartments and five two-bedroom duplexes. Rehab included replacement of previously boarded-up windows, roof replacement, mold and lead abatement, masonry restoration, complete interior renovations, reuse of the basement for tenant storage and the addition of rear decks with city views.
The apartments represent the rehabilitation of an uninhabitable, vacant property into viable housing within the space of seven months. Upon completion of the project, all units were rented within eight weeks and a waiting list of interested tenants was established. The apartments bridge the northern and southern portions of Moline’s redeveloping downtown and provide a desirable downtown living opportunity for mixed-income families, and are the only surviving examples of rowhouses in Moline.