The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Iowa recognized local architecture firms for outstanding design at the AIA Iowa Design & Honor Awards Celebration on Wednesday, April 1st. In an effort to recognize excellence in design, AIA Iowa offers several award programs. For each award, a jury of respected professionals from within the architecture and design communities meet to recognize the finest from within our state.
Streamline Architects was presented an Honorable Mention with the Iowa Impact Award. The Impact Award is presented to architects, designers, and other collaborators for an architectural project specifically designed to directly benefit social, humanitarian, community or environmental causes.
Streamline represented with The Rust Belt, in East Moline, IL, we completed this project in the Spring of 2019. We now call the Rust Belt home, as our office and coffee shop is located inside. Check out our before and after photos below.
Are you interested in learning more about this project? Check it out here:
In 1915, in the small town called East Moline, IL laid the Moline-Knight Automobile Company. Next door, the IH CNH Global Case Plant. In the early 1800’s the Quad Cities, a term used to At its peak, the plant employed 4,300 workers on three shifts, producing 40-50 combines a day. In June of 2000, the company announced that it would close the East Moline plant and transfer the combine assembly to Grand Island, Nebraska because it was newer, more efficient and not union. When the last combine officially rolled off the line on June 27, 2004, it left behind 54 acres of building vacant and 570 remaining employees without a job.
This sparked Anderson to look at other buildings that laid on the streets of East Moline such as the former Moline-Knight Automobile building. The skinny and long stretch of the building had sat vacant for more than 10 years until it met its fate: The Rust Belt. While Anderson considered tearing the building down, more than one century later, the former automobile manufacturing plant is the newest addition to unique venues in the Quad Cities. The Rust Belt accommodates approximately 4,000 people and provides the opportunity for musicians, comedians, and other artists to entertain audiences in the Quad Cities region. It has attracted large names to the Quad Cities such as Jimmy Eat World, The Rust Belt is not only unique for East Moline, it is unique for the entire Midwest.
The once run-down building is now filled with booming businesses such as a restaurant (Jennie’s Boxcar), brewery (Midwest Ale Works), coffee house (Iron + Grain Coffee House), hair salon and barbershop (Revival Mane), a photography studio (JW Photography), a CrossFit gym (The Foundation), a retail store (Iron + Grain Home), an architecture firm (Streamline Architects) and a fabrication shop (Streamline Artisans).
The addition of The Rust Belt has sparked a movement in East Moline and has reignited the transformation of this development as well as the surrounding approximately 200-acre development. In East Moline, the average household income is $46,506. The addition of The Rust Belt has added 75 new jobs and six new businesses to East Moline.
Check out some photos below:
