governments has not always been efficient or effective; governmental services are more costly when administered by many entities separately." As a result of the gradual dissolution of the trends of industrial expansion and the end of the age of immigration, Moline's population stagnated throughout the mid-to-late-20th century, settling in the 40,000–45,000 range, where it remains today. The central retail district gradually closed down as the area's first shopping malls opened in the early 1970s, pulling business away from downtown. This southward trend in retail occurred despite the extension of Interstate 74 through the city and across the river on the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge in 1974, an infrastructure improvement that made Moline's downtown more accessible and brought thousands of commuters and travelers through Moline each day. Though most civic leaders and journalists had been optimistic-–one reporter claimed "almost every indicator of economic, population, and civic growth points to the fact that Moline's potential for growth is greater than ever . . . especially in its now readily accessible downtown . . ." – there was no stopping the dawn of the age of strip retailing. Perhaps the greatest problem befalling Moline in the second half of the 20th century was the farm crisis of the 1980s. Moline's economic vitality was sapped as the agricultural crisis crippled the farm implement industry, the force which had shaped the development of Moline since the city's earliest days. Plant after plant laid off workers by the thousands, and unemployment in the area soared to twice the national average. Even Deere & Company moved most of its factory operations out of Moline, though it maintained its world headquarters in Moline in a specially commissioned building that was designed by Eero Saarinen. The LeClaire Hotel, the tallest building in Moline and a longtime symbol of the city's wealth and prestige, closed its doors. The 1990 census showed a population loss for the city for the second straight decade. 1990s–2000s In the 1990s, Moline began staging a comeback through the redevelopment of its riverfront. Deere & Company demolished its vacant riverfront factories and donated the land to the city so that it could build a civic center on the space. The Mark of the Quad-Cities, now known as the Vibrant Arena at The MARK, was completed in 1993 and is now the home to large conventions, concerts, high school sports tournaments, and a host of other events. The