‘It’s unbelievable’: DRA celebrates 40 years, investing $1.1 billion in Dubuque

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – The founding of the Dubuque Racing Association followed economic turmoil, as the city’s unemployment rate peaked at 23% in 1982.

“Dubuque was struggling. The Pack was closing. We were having a difficult time,” says DRA Board Chair Lori Thielen. “The motto was, ‘The last one in Dubuque, please turn out the lights.’”

In 1985, community leaders formed the DRA, creating Dubuque Greyhound Park on Chaplain Schmitt Island in an attempt to garner economic development opportunities in Dubuque.

As a Loras College student, Thielen landed a job at the newly formed dog track in 1985

“I began as a para mutual and I actually counted cash at the end of the day,” recalls Thielen.

After adding a city-owned casino, now known as the Q Casino + Resort, the DRA reinvests 100% of revenue after expenses into the community.

City documents show Dubuque expects to make $7.4 million from the casino in Fiscal Year 2025, lowering property taxes for each homeowner by about $216 annually. Thielen is proud the DRA contributes to helping residents keep more money in their pockets.

“Look what we’re all going through these days as the prices for groceries increase tremendously, or what it might takes to put a child through school, or get the clothing or the books they might need,” says Thielen. “It helps keeps down their taxes. It helps beautify parks. It helps makes trails. The city uses the money to give back to the citizens and hold down expenses.”

The DRA has distributed more than $52 million worth of grants to local nonprofits, including $100,000 in funding over a two-year period for The Wanderwood Gardens.

Neighboring the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the 2.5-acre educational children’s garden will feature 15 areas for interactive, outdoor play after its 2026 opening.

The $100,000 DRA grant will help pay for the necessary equipment to maintain the garden, develop a website, and fund 15 seasonal interns.

“To be able to be part of a transformative project like this in Dubuque, it’s a dream come true for someone who has fallen in love with this place. It’s everything,” says The Wanderwood Gardens Director Jared McGovern. “Happy 40th DRA!”

While the dog track that started the DRA is gone, its legacy lives on, fueling dreams 40 years later.

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