Centennial Park is one of four parks located along the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

in downtown

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The other three are

LeClaire Park LeClaire Park is a public park located along the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is situated between two other riverfront parks: Centennial Park (Davenport, Iowa), Centennial Park on the west and River Heritage Par ...

, which is immediately to the east of Centennial Park, Veterans Memorial Park, which is being developed immediately to the west, and River Heritage Park that is under development on the far east side of downtown. Development of the park was begun in 2000. Its name is derived from the

Rock Island Centennial Bridge The Rock Island Centennial Bridge, officially the Master Sergeant Stanley W. Talbot Memorial Bridge, connects Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. The bridge is long and stands above water level. Construction of the bridge began in 193 ...

, which is on the east side of the park. Centennial Park features a boat ramp, a playground, a gazebo, fishing areas, a dog off leash area, basketball courts, a sprayground, and a skateboard park. The skate board park is used for skateboarding, roller blades and BMX bikes. The Riverfront Parkway passes through the park, and the River's Edge, an indoor sports complex operated by Davenport Parks and Recreation, is on the northeast corner of the park.

History

The site where Centennial Park now sits is a former landfill used by the city of Davenport until 1975. The north part of the property was the location of a rail yard and the southern portion was used as a festival ground in the late 20th century, with a few commercial buildings on the west side of the property. The park's construction was a part of a $100 million project called River Vision that was passed by the city council in 2004. The skate board park was the first element of the park that opened in 2006. It was designed by SITE Design Group Inc., of

Tempe, Arizona Tempe ( ; ''Oidbaḍ'' in O'odham language, O'odham) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in t ...

. The basketball courts, concession stand and stage were opened in 2009. The last three commercial buildings on the site were torn down the same year to make way for the spray park that was constructed in 2010. In late 2010 and early 2011 part of what was the festival grounds was paved for parking and the rest is being seeded for an open green space.

References

{{Quad Cities Parks in Davenport, Iowa Protected areas on the Mississippi River