The new designs, called a contemporary river industrial scheme and the retro I-80 scheme, were led by Denver-based architects and interiors developers Worth Group.
The river industrial design mimics some of the design of a proposed downtown satellite casino also developed by Ingenus. It features elements of the skybridge, the first railroad bridge over the Mississippi River and the Government Bridge.
The retro design is inspired by the glamour of Las Vegas in the late 1950s and early 1960s, which was the same time when Interstate 80 was under construction. It also uses colours and forms that create a retro atmosphere.
The two designs are part of negotiations for developing a land-based casino with Ingenus and Financial District Properties. These came after the earlier designs by Worth Group received criticism for being too barn-like. The earlier design proposal by Ingenus proposed 174,000 square feet of casino, hotel, restaurants, conference and back-of-house space. The design scheme entailed 1,000 gaming machines, more than a dozen table games, a 100-room hotel, three restaurants, a lounge, 100 stalls of covered parking and an 800-space parking lot. The original proposal also included a downtown “boutique” restaurant and casino next to the River Center on an undeveloped parcel along Second Street with a smaller 14,500-square-foot casino which would include a restaurant and a terrace dining area.
The City Council of Davenport is now proposing to acquire the Rhythm City Casino for $46 million from Isle of Capri.
