Hailey Ridgway, left, and her mother Christina, right, pose with Ann Schwickerath, executive director of Project Renewal Oct 13 at a construction site in Davenport.
By Dan Russo
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Structural problems recently prompted the leaders of Project Renewal to order the demolition of the Treat House, a beloved building where the charity offered after school learning opportunities.
Rising in its place at 510 Warren St. in Davenport is a new facility that will eventually be home to all of the organization’s academic programs for children and youth. Doors are slated to officially open in spring 2026.
On Oct. 13, friends, neighbors, volunteers and youth all donned hardhats and safety goggles so they could enter the active construction site. They came to sign an exposed steel beam that will be a key support for the new building.
“It’s a good program for children of the neighborhood,” said Jalischa McReynolds, a mother of three, as she signed the beam with a marker. “My kids come here.”
The Ridgways both benefited from the charity’s programs as children and were on hand with other friends and supporters to sign a steel support beam (photo at right) that is part of a $1 million building now being built at Fifth and Warren streets.
The $1 million building is part of an expansion encompassing three phases: first, the purchase of 513 Warren St. and construction of a new youth center, which has been completed; second, the rebuilding of the Treat House at 510 Warren St.; and third, the renovation of staff offices and housing at 906 W. 5th St. The budget for all three phases is approximately $3.1 million, according to information from the non-profit. Russell Construction, which has a location on East 53rd Street in Davenport, is completing the work.
“Since the beam signing, they’ve been working on HVAC,” said Ann Schwickerath, executive director of Project Renewal. “We’re hoping to complete the academic center in January 2026. We want to have a ribbon cutting in the spring.”
Founded by Sister Concetta Bendicente of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1974, the charity has been providing help with school work and also enriching the lives of children and young people in an area of the city that has struggled economically. Hailey Ridgway and her mother Christina took part in the signing, expressing gratitude for the positive influence the project has had on them both.
“(My daughter) learned to swim in the summer program,” recalled Christina. “You get a lot of help with school work. It’s like a family. I lived in the neighborhood and came here as a child and I sent my kids.”
Sister Concetta came to Davenport from Chicago to serve on Msgr. Marvin Mottet’s diocesan social action team. The sisters chose to live in the neighborhood to be close to the people they aimed to serve. They rehabbed a red brick building to live and work in. The original building at 906 5th St. will get an upgrade and continue to be used. The tradition of staff and volunteers living in the neighborhood continues to this day.
There are two apartments in the new Learning Center at 513 Warren St. According to Schwickerath, some of the space is temporarily being used for academics, but will be re-converted to living space for staff once the building on the former Treat House lot across the street is done. (The old building was nicknamed “treat” because children could actually get treats there.)
The recently completed Learning Center hosts other programs that are not strictly academic like science, technology, engineering or arts projects and health and wellness activities. There is also a recreation area.
“For 51 years Project Renewal has been present in this neighborhood, empowering children and families by acting as a loving presence and providing high quality afterschool and summer programming for the students we serve,” reflected Alex Cahill, president of Project Renewal’s board of directors in a statement about the expansion. “The programs are free at Project Renewal and dramatically impact the students, as each student knows they have a safe, stable and loving environment to learn, have fun and simply be a kid.”
There are currently four full-time staff members and one part-time, Schwickerath said. St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, students also fill positions funded through work study programs and there are seasonal positions in the summer. Volunteers also bolster the human connection to the neighborhood that is key to Project Renewal’s success.
“We can use more volunteers,” said Schwickerath. “People can help with homework, reading, mentoring, or just by being present.”
Volunteers typically come as their schedules allow, she said. Project Renewal is seeking financial help to fund the expansion and to support its day to day operations, according to Schwickerath. To donate, visit: https://www.projectrenewal.net/
