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Rockford
Winnebago County
Rockford, the third largest
city in Illinois, is the county seat of Winnebago County and situated
along the Rock River. In the early 1900s, Rockford was the second largest furniture
manufacturer in the U.S. But, like other early manufacturing cities
throughout the Midwest, many of Rockford’s industries have declined or
disappeared since the 1960s. Rockford’s downtown reflects years of
economic struggle, but also promising efforts by the city and many
entrepreneurs to purchase and renovate its historic building stock.
With a historic preservation ordinance and active preservation
commission in place since 1978, the city’s preservation program of
designating and protecting historic properties is long established.
Several downtown owners have done renovation projects utilizing the
20%
Federal Rehab Tax Credit, as well as city assistance through Tax
Increment Financing (TIF), and the City’s newly created
River Edge
Redevelopment Zone, which includes all of downtown and offers sales tax
exemption for construction materials for non-residential rehabilitation
and construction.
Currently, the city is marketing several historic properties for sale.
Across from the downtown Metro Center, a 10,000 seat arena built in the
1980s, are the Chick Hotel at 121 Main St. built in 1856 and the Hanley
Furniture Building at 301 S. Main St., built in 1895. Both are potential
candidates for residential or hotel conversion and are eligible for Tax
Increment Financing and preservation incentives.
Within walking distance of downtown, many homes are being restored in
the Haight Village local and National Register historic district which
features a collection of Queen Anne and Gothic Revival styles.
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The Garrison School at 1105
N. Court St, built in 1887 with a gymnasium built in 1912, is a local
landmark and is also listed in the National Register. Using federal tax
credits, a developer is converting the building into
Garrison Lofts
high-end rental housing.
Other downtown redevelopment efforts are focused in the River District,
an area focused on creating a new riverfront residential and office
community with a public river walk connected to parks, the museum campus
and other amenities. The River District Association, an Illinois Main
Street organization, has prepared a Downtown Developer’s Guide to lead
one through the local development process.
Information on historic
buildings eligible for tax incentives and a façade rebate program can be
found at
riverdistrict.com. In addition, contact Rockford’s Commercial
Development Manager, Rick May, at (815) 967-6737 or at
richard.may@rockfordil.gov for information on any of these properties and programs. |
