DAVENPORT, Iowa — A historic area in Davenport is one step closer to honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A new park is set to be built and named after Dr. King near Davenport's downtown.
"Our intent was for this to be a family-friendly atmosphere where people can come and engage with some of our own history," Friends of MLK CEO and Board Chair Ryan Saddler said.
The park is slated to be housed at the corner of 5th and Brady streets.
"We want to make sure that we don't lose sight of our history as we move forward," Saddler said.
The setting will be run by the Friends of MLK organization that currently houses a community center next to the property.
"The mix of having an interpretive center or an inside space then we can marry this park with what's advantageous for all of us," Saddler said.
Entertainment, historical exhibits, community meetings and food trucks will be included at the park.
"The city has a great downtown riverfront, green spaces, but not a lot in the city," Davenport 3rd Ward Alderman Marion Meginnis said. "This would be a great stopping place right at the edge of downtown."
Organizers said the plot of land will be Davenport's first official memorial honoring Dr. King and it's believed to be where the city's first Black-owned business was built.
"We hope that this park can become a place that we can have some of those serious and difficult dialogues on some of these topics," Saddler said.
The park was supposed to be completed in the summer of 2022, but it was delayed due to a slower approval process. Organizers now hope to be done by summer 2023.
More than half of the $1.2 million project has been funded through various community groups and government boards.