Douglas Park changes unveiled

We’re learning new details about the renovation of Rock Island’s Douglas Park.

City officials and members of the Friends of Douglas Park discussed their refurbishment plans for the park this afternoon.

It includes a new parking lot and a multi-use field for soccer, football, baseball and softball.

Officials also hope to convert the 1915 firehouse into a museum that commemorates the first game involving an NFL team ever played.

Rock Island mayor Mike Thoms says the new plans go beyond tourism.

“You know the tourism is a great dollar to have,” Thoms said. “It’s great to have poeple visit our city and talk about it along with the citizens who live here. A lot of the new generation don’t know these stories and we need to recreate them and share them with them.

Thoms says they hope to have a virtual reality element in the museum so people can relive the Rock Island Independents’ first game.