By Steve Summers and Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The city has a little more than a month left to finalize a deal that will help developers realize their ambitious vision to transform the vacant Barber-Colman complex into a mix of businesses and living spaces.
The city’s self-imposed deadline is to finalize the redevelopment deal by Dec. 1. That agreement will lay out the city’s contributions to the roughly $400 million project. But both the city and Milwaukee-based developer J. Jeffers & Co. are navigating inflation pressures and other economic factors as they work to complete the deal.
“We’ve still got some work to do to get this development agreement across the finish line,” Mayor Tom McNamara said. “We need to make sure this is a good deal for the city of Rockford as well as J. Jeffers.”
Related: Introducing Colman Yards: A first look at the vision for Rockford’s Barber-Colman complex
McNamara made those comments on the This Week in the Stateline podcast and radio program with Steve Summers. He also discussed the city’s efforts to reduce blight, the future of Davis Park after the Lorden building comes down, the future Rockford Public Library, his upcoming holiday card, a recent fire at the former Al-Mart and efforts to increase pedestrian safety. (Listen to the full episode at the end of this article.)
The Barber-Colman project was unveiled on Tuesday during a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing in which developers laid out their plans for the site.
They hope to start construction early next year on a multi-year venture to create 964 market-price living units and roughly 130,000 square feet of commercial space. The name of the project is Colman Yards.
Going down in Davis Park
Demolition crews with N-Trak in Loves Park began their work this week to raze the former Lorden building in Davis Park, 320 S. Wyman St.
McNamara says demolishing the 106-year-old structure is the first step to revitalizing the future park.
“This is one of those things that’s addition by subtraction,” McNamara said on the podcast.
He said he recalls watching concerts at the Lorden building during the now-defunct On the Waterfront Festival in past years.
“Those times have now been long gone, and we’ve just let that building deteriorate and sit in the middle of the only park the city owns.”
The plan for Davis Park involves boat docks, splash pads, an urban beach, a playground, a skate park, walking and biking paths, new restrooms and an amphitheater.
“We want to get that park to be active,” McNamara said. “We want that park to be welcoming, and we want to open up views to the greatest asset that we have, which is the Rock River.”
Listen to the full episode below:
