Local leaders this week again will consider a list of big ideas for one little island.

The Dubuque City Council will hold a work session on Monday, July 15, to review and discuss the Chaplain Schmitt Island development plan. The 81-page document includes an overview of the possible means, methods and costs to further develop the island.

Council members will not vote on the plan Monday, but they will offer guidance on what projects or portions of the plan they most would like to pursue.

“We won’t be moving any shovels as a result of this meeting, but it will give us some direction in terms of the policies or projects the city is willing to entertain or pursue,” said Alex Dixon, president and CEO of Q Casino + Resort and DRA.

DRA, the nonprofit license holder for both Q Casino and Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, has a lease agreement with the city that splits DRA’s annual distribution evenly among the city, local charities and improvements to Chaplain Schmitt Island.

The group has been engaged with the City Council for the past decade to consider island improvements, and last year DRA leaders hired RDG Planning & Design to craft a new development plan for council review.

Some elements of that plan already are underway, such as an ongoing $83 million renovation at Q Casino + Resort and the planned construction of a large outdoor amphitheater at the former greyhound race track.

Others are more hypothetical and would require further feedback, planning and investment from local leaders and city staff.

“This plan doesn’t dictate what will happen,” Dixon said. “It outlines what could happen and starts to get into how much it would cost to do so.”

Several items in the plan look to capitalize on the island’s proximity to the Mississippi River by improving riverfront access and recreation. The document outlines improvements to the island’s trail system, as well as the possible addition of a river-themed playground.

The plan also includes steps toward the addition of a water taxi to allow island visitors to enjoy other riverfront amenities such as National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium or other offerings.

The proximity of the river also necessitates considerations around the likelihood or severity of seasonal flooding, however. Dixon said many of the larger improvements are proposed further inland for that reason and/or include flood-mitigation strategies within the proposal.

For example, the plan outlines the possibility of adding waterfront apartments to the south side of the island at the current American Marine RV park. The proposed location is within the 100-year floodplain and would require efforts to raise the land up to a less-flood-prone level, Dixon said.

It also likely would require the relocation or elimination of the RV park, which currently leases the land highlighted for potential residential use. Another version of the plan nixes the apartments and instead includes improvements to the RV park and surrounding marina.

Justin Pretasky, president of American Marine, said he has heard from city leaders about plans around developing the land that currently holds the RV park but declined to comment at this time.

Ward 4 City Council member Katy Wethal said she was open to discussing the possibility of a residential development at Chaplain Schmitt but that she first would like to hear more from area residents before deciding one way or the other.

She expressed excitement, however, around efforts overall to bring more people to the island and in particular for efforts to bolster opportunities for water recreation and other outdoor activities.

“My hope for the island is to get to a place where it appeals to not only people visiting from out of town, but also for people living right here in Dubuque,” she said. “I’m excited about all the opportunities there to get in and alongside the river.”

DRA leadership in June also moved to complete a feasibility study on the possibility of constructing a sports complex on the island.

That study is ongoing, but the development plan outlines the possibility of adding amenities such as a basketball court, soccer field and/or volleyball court to the area depending on council members’ desires.

The plan also includes a proposal for the addition of a second sheet of ice to ImOn Arena to meet growing demand for ice time from local hockey teams and figure skaters.

The development plan outlines the potential for a 17,000-square-foot arena with stadium seating and attached locker rooms. The addition would increase the potential for tournament-style events, the plan states, as well as support hockey teams at University of Dubuque.

Ward 3 Council Member Danny Sprank said he was interested in the possibility of expanding the arena as one way to make Chaplain Schmitt Island more accessible for area youth.

“I’ve heard of children who are practicing hockey until 9 or 9:30 at night because that’s the only time they can get on the ice,” Sprank said. “Then you think about the (collegiate) teams, the (Dubuque Fighting) Saints and our ice skaters, and there’s a real demand there for a second sheet of ice.”

Per the development plan, an expanded ice arena could come with the potential addition of a hotel adjacent to the arena to host visitors for tournaments and sporting-related travel. If pursued, the hotel would be the third on the island.

DRA leaders will collect council feedback on those proposals and more at Monday’s meeting. The feedback will be used to finetune and prune the plan, which Dixon said will return for formal council approval at a later date.

The overall costs of the redevelopment efforts will be contingent upon which projects the council chooses to pursue, as well as the availability of grant funding and other financial support.