Rockfordia

[Rockford]

The Once and Future Rockford Illinois

http://www.octagon.bobanna.com/images/rockford_il_1880_2.jpg

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/il/winnebago/postcards/mainstr.jpg


the 47 ft. 30 ton "Symbol" of Rocvkford (that's the sculpture's name)
http://www.thom.org/photos/symbol.jpg

Rockford Int'l Airport (one of America's fastest growing, and in the top 25 cargo airports in the country)
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http://www.daniel-wolfert.com/slide_files/Travelogue/rockford.jpg
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http://www.qctimes.com/quality/archive/week2/imgs/rockford1.jpg

http://www.qctimes.com/quality/archive/week2/imgs/rockford2.jpg

http://www.trtleasing.com/images/properties-trustbuilding.jpg

Rockford Art Museum
http://www.rockfordartmuseum.org/images/comp036_r4_c2.jpg

waiting for some tlc
http://www.cinematour.com/location/usa/il/rockaub.jpg

Rockford's got lotsa sprawl, some better than others
http://www.rockfordortho.com/Images/bldg_slideshow/bldg_ne600.jpg

http://www.vaillawnchairteam.com/carnes/Rockford_bridge_sm.JPG

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http://www.maths.bris.ac.uk/~maxsv/WEBPICS/USA/MADISON-A/il2.jpg

Midway Village (an historic village)
firehouse
http://www.midwayvillage.com/images/upimages/firehouse.jpg
hospital
http://midway.duniya.net/images/upimages/hospital.jpg

http://www.maths.bris.ac.uk/~maxsv/WEBPICS/USA/MADISON-A/il4.jpg

http://www.villageprofile.com/illinois/rockford/images/jpegs/community_pic1.jpg

http://www.rockforddiocese.org/search/images/RKFDStMaryShrine.jpg

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Swedish-American Hospital
http://www.rockford.uic.edu/FPR/images/assets/hospital.jpg

http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1890/activity/artinhome/exterior-s.jpg

http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Downtown%20Rockford/Downtown%20at%20Dawn.jpg

http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Architecture/City%20Hall.jpg

http://www.rockfordil.com/images/Bike%20path2.gif

the Starlight Theater
http://www.rvcstarlight.com/image-library/starlight/starlight-welcome.jpg

http://www.rvcstarlight.com/image-library/starlight/starlight-about.jpg

http://www.rvcstarlight.com/image-library/starlight/starlight-about.jpg

http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Architecture/City%20Hall%20Architecture.jpg

Coronado Theater
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http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Architecture/Coronado%20Theatre%20interior.jpg

http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Downtown%20Rockford/Coronado%20Theatre%20stage.jpg

Anderson Japanese Gardens, rated as the nation's best Japanese Garden

http://www.rockfordrotary.org/images/anderson.jpg

http://www.kurisu.com/portfolio/images/kurisu-japanese-garden-design-rockford-il-4-6.jpg

http://www.kurisu.com/portfolio/images/kurisu-japanese-garden-design-rockford-il-4-7.jpg

http://www.kurisu.com/portfolio/images/kurisu-japanese-garden-design-rockford-il-4-8.jpg

there's lotsa lotsa forst preserves

http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Sports%20-%20Recreation/Natures%20Beauty.jpg

and extensive bike paths, here's the Peace Park
http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Sports%20-%20Recreation/Cycling%20in%20Rockford.jpg

the 10,000 seat MetroCentere (fancy spelling, huh?)
http://www.gorockford.com/igallery31/upload/Meeting%20-%20Event%20Facilities/MetroCentre.jpg

Kishwaukee River Bike Bridge
http://www.bridgemeister.com/images/poilaltwood1.jpg

http://www.bridgemeister.com/images/poilaltwood2.jpg

[wheelingman]

It looks like a nice little city.

[Rural King]

Rockford definately looks like it would be an interesting place to visit. Looks to have a very nice downtown.

[Jules]

A nice city, it's a shame it lost it's spot as Illinois' second largest.

[Rockford]

It might regain that position someday. It is actually growing pretty rapidly and continues to annex.
Booming Mexican population as well.

[wheelingman]

It will continue to grow as Chicago sprawls more towards Rockford.

[Azn_chi_boi]

rockford looks nice, the most rockford i saw was on I-90, I-39

[Rockford]

Azn,

Next time you should head downtown, where there is a great Laotian restaurant. (6th street i think)

Lao food is yummier than Chinese, IMHO :)


BTW Azn,

I love your energetic interest in cities, you are a great Chicagoan!

[Rockford]

It will continue to grow as Chicago sprawls more towards Rockford.


Rockford is its own thing.

It is the nations largest machine tool center, one of the most important aerospace engineering centers, one of the most important cargo transit centers (air/road/rail), and has strength in many manufacturing industries (automobiles ex.)

Rockford might be the city that actually lost out to Chicago in the past. IMHO, if Chicago had not been where it is, Rockford would have grown into a very sizable city, maybe along the lines of KC, INDY....and certainly as big as Toledo, Dayton etc.

As it was,

its major growth spurt coincided with Chicago's and, of course, it lost out, at times.

Now it stands to gain. But Rockford will never be a Schaumburg. It has a population (metro) of 400,000 and has its own thing going on. Just ask Cheap Trick.

If and when the two metros truly merge, Rockford will probably exceed 700,000 people, hardly a Schaumburg.

[ReddAlert]

awesome pics...truly an unknown Midwest jewel to most on here.

[RockfordSoxFan]

Hey Rockford, why dont we just keep all the Rockford news in one thread, with all of your posts, and the few you forget about that I find. Lets just start a "Rockford IL" thread, and forget about all these little threads that only get 2,3,6, and 9 hits.

[ShaneFromSiouxFalls]

Holy cow, rockford looks like such a fun and interesting place to visit! The Coronado Theater looks amazing, and it looks like there is a lot of stuff to do there.

[airmale007]

UGH! Rockford looks terrible in those pics. It looks like any other boring American town with no culture and nothing to do.

Every time tourist pictures depict a bunch of bike trails and trees, it means that the city is so boring that the best way to spend your time is to ride around in a boat like you're in Kentucky. Dude, if I want to enjoy nature I'll go to Wyoming.

Rockford is so far from special and out of the ordinary. Why don't you just move to Chicago, dude?


TUP, most of your stuff I agree with, but here, you are just being small minded. This post is sickening.:puke:

[Azn_chi_boi]

UGH! Rockford looks terrible in those pics. It looks like any other boring American town with no culture and nothing to do.

Every time tourist pictures depict a bunch of bike trails and trees, it means that the city is so boring that the best way to spend your time is to ride around in a boat like you're in Kentucky. Dude, if I want to enjoy nature I'll go to Wyoming.

Rockford is so far from special and out of the ordinary. Why don't you just move to Chicago, dude?

Same question could be ask back to you. Why dont you move to Chicago? It feels like you contribute more to Chicago and DC.

Rockford feels more like a suburb and natural city... maybe we could give Rockford back to the Winnebagos?

[RockfordSoxFan]

PUKE! Lets leave Schaumburg in Schaumburg, and not bring it to Rockford.
Just what we need, more roads, and more development along I-90 instead of downtown. Invest that 1.5 million into downtown/ riverfront please.....


'By SARAH ROBERTS, Rockford Register Star

ROCKFORD -- Plans for a commercial and residential development along Interstate 90 are moving forward, but at least one alderman wants the city to rethink proposed financial incentives for the developer.
The project has been described as a combination of residential and light commercial development similar to that in the Schaumburg area.
As part of its 75-acre project, Landmark Development Inc. would pay for the extension of Bell School Road north from Spring Brook Road, where it ends, to East Riverside Boulevard.
Landmark would be reimbursed for the cost of the road construction based on the amount of sales tax its project generates for the city. The development would have to generate a minimum of $30 million in sales tax to qualify for reimbursement and would be eligible for $1.5 million over 10 years.
Landmark officials couldn’t be reached Wednesday for comment on the project.
Ald. John Beck, R-12, supports the project but doesn’t want aldermen to rubber-stamp hefty financial incentives for a plan some of them haven’t even seen.
“I’m really bothered by the fact that we’re going to be making a $1.5 million decision based on something that we just saw and talked about for 10 minutes,” Beck said.
Ald. Frank Beach, R-10, who leads the Codes and Regulations Committee that approved the plan Monday, described the project as a “kind of entrance gateway to Rockford.”
Beck says the land, along the booming I-90 corridor, would naturally develop on its own, and the city needs to reserve public dollars for areas that need help attracting development. Beck has informed Mayor Larry Morrissey of his concerns, and he hopes aldermen will give the plan a more thorough review before making a final decision.
“I’m hopeful that we’re going to have a new way of doing business with the new administration. There’s been way too much of this deal-cutting with development in areas that don’t need the incentives,” Beck said. “The developers end up putting more money in their pocket. It’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.”

[Jeff]

Id like to know if there is anything left of that old waterpower district on the west side of the Rock River. From old panoramic illustrations Ive seen it looks like a small version of Lowell, and it would be a real hidden treasure if some of those old mills survived...

[gaviidae]

UGH! Rockford looks terrible in those pics. It looks like any other boring American town with no culture and nothing to do.

Every time tourist pictures depict a bunch of bike trails and trees, it means that the city is so boring that the best way to spend your time is to ride around in a boat like you're in Kentucky. Dude, if I want to enjoy nature I'll go to Wyoming.

Rockford is so far from special and out of the ordinary. Why don't you just move to Chicago, dude?

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[RockfordSoxFan]

Jeff, I am not quite sure what exactly you are talking about. There are old 1900's all brick wharehouses, and factories stretching south down South Main Street from downtown along the west side of the Rock River. All have been abandoned for quite a long time, 10+ years. Some of these buildings are several blocks long, and 5-6 floors. Huge potential, for redevelopment, retail, and residential. If anything is gonna happen with this area it will be in the next few years. This district is not too far from the proposed Metra station, maybe 4-5 blocks. Once the trains start rolling in, watch this neighborhood boom. My hope is that they will also dress up the riverfront in this area, it needs it bad. Its below the dam, and has been neglected, all the parks, and paths are north of the dam, and on the east side of the river.

[Jeff]

Jeff, I am not quite sure what exactly you are talking about. There are old 1900's all brick wharehouses, and factories stretching south down South Main Street from downtown along the west side of the Rock River. All have been abandoned for quite a long time, 10+ years. Some of these buildings are several blocks long, and 5-6 floors. Huge potential, for redevelopment, retail, and residential. If anything is gonna happen with this area it will be in the next few years. This district is not too far from the proposed Metra station, maybe 4-5 blocks. Once the trains start rolling in, watch this neighborhood boom. My hope is that they will also dress up the riverfront in this area, it needs it bad. Its below the dam, and has been neglected, all the parks, and paths are north of the dam, and on the east side of the river.


My source is "Historical Illinois from the Air", pp122-124, which is on "The Emergence of Rockford". The pano dates from 1891, and the article mentions "Race Street"....online maps show this is an area between Main Street and the river, north of Morgan Street/College Ave & south of Cedar Street...

If a substantial number of these old mills remain (as you seem to be saying) Rockford has a great opportunity for adaptive reuse and historical preservation, as surviving old waterpowere areas are quite rare outside of New England & the East Coast...

[Jeff]

Jeff, I am not quite sure what exactly you are talking about. There are old 1900's all brick wharehouses, and factories stretching south down South Main Street from downtown along the west side of the Rock River. All have been abandoned for quite a long time, 10+ years. Some of these buildings are several blocks long, and 5-6 floors. Huge potential, for redevelopment, retail, and residential. If anything is gonna happen with this area it will be in the next few years. This district is not too far from the proposed Metra station, maybe 4-5 blocks. Once the trains start rolling in, watch this neighborhood boom. My hope is that they will also dress up the riverfront in this area, it needs it bad. Its below the dam, and has been neglected, all the parks, and paths are north of the dam, and on the east side of the river.


My source is "Historical Illinois from the Air", pp122-124, which is on "The Emergence of Rockford". The pano dates from 1891, and the article mentions "Race Street"....online maps show this is an area along Main Street and the river, north of Morgan Street/College Ave & south of Cedar Street...

If a substantial number of these old mills remain (as you seem to be saying) Rockford has a great opportunity for adaptive reuse and historical preservation, as surviving old waterpowere areas are quite rare outside of New England & the East Coast...

[RockfordSoxFan]

Jeff, you have my curiosity peaked. I am gonna have to drive down there and see whats still there off Race Street, if anything.... The buildings I was refering to are about 2 blocks south, on Morgan, Loomis, and Buchanan. I will post as soon as I do.

[Suburbanite]

Why don't you just move to Chicago, dude?

I take offense to this statement. As much as I love Chicago, there is more to Chicago metro and surrounding cities than just Chicago. Some people actually enjoy urbanism on a smaller scale rather than just being bludgeoned over the head by it. A little nature is not an evil.

[Fiddlerontheruf]

Rockford is pretty trashy, at least based on my observations. I go there every year for thanksgiving.

[Rockford]

Granted it has its rough edges, but it has its hidden charms as well.Plus, where else could you buy a 3,000 sq ft home on an acre for 150,000?? All within an hour and a half of Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee???

[Rockford]

and the times, there-a-changin

Trip to D.C. shows vitality of Rockford area


The Rockford odyssey to Washington was unlike anything in which I've participated. Who'd have thought just a week ago that the Forest City and nearby communities could fill a Boeing 737 with 130 people and send them to D.C. with instructions to split up into groups and go lobby the feds?

But that's what happened. "Region Rockford" is on a roll, and this time its leaders were not just the regulars, but others who have not historically been seen in the corridors of power, including a new group of emerging black, Hispanic and Asian business leaders.

AMONG THE PRODUCTIVE Capitol Hill meetings that took place Tuesday were those arranged by the Greater Rockford Airport group headed by Executive Director Bob O'Brien, Deputy Director Derek Martin and three board members, Bharat Puri, Nick Ancona and Chairman Mike Dunn. They paid visits to congressmen in districts served by flights from Rockford.

"We let them know that we're providing them an economic exchange and that we want to provide more. We also wanted to see what we could do to invite their people back to our place," O'Brien said.

The airport group also met with Federal Aviation Administration leaders to lobby for $8 million that Uncle Sam has owed the airport for more than a decade for improvements made to attract United Parcel Service's air freight hub.

"We invited them to be aware that we're going to raise political awareness among senators and congressmen that the only real opportunity we have to continue all the creative things we're doing is to get what is owed to us," O'Brien said.

THE DELEGATION ALSO had a regional face, with leaders from Boone, Winnebago and Ogle counties. And they didn't just lobby northern Illinois politicians. Belvidere Mayor Fred Brereton led a group that met with U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, to brief him on the importance of passenger rail service to the Belvidere-Rockford area. "We also talked about the Rockford airport and the rural health program of the UIC College of Medicine at Rockford," Brereton said.

"It's impressive when our (Illinois) representatives hear that 130 people from the Rockford area, not just four people from Belvidere, chartered a jet and came to Washington," he said.

Delegation members I talked to said the day was well-spent. Lisa Perteete, president of J Staffing Solutions, said she learned at a meeting with Commerce Department officials that the future of American manufacturing is in high-precision, high-quality products. Customers are disenchanted with the poor performance of many Chinese goods, she said, and Americans can compete -- provided they're well-trained.

THE DAY'S EVENTS should squelch the talk that a Rockford with an independent mayor will be cloutless. Mayor Larry Morrissey met with both U.S. senators from Illinois and U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan. The meeting with Barack Obama was particularly intriguing. The freshman senator and freshman mayor huddled in Obama's office for nearly an hour, one on one. They talked about all sorts of issues, Morrissey said, noting that a key Obama staffer is a law school classmate of his.

Not all the people who went on the Hooters Air charter were lobbying. A few went to see sights. "I brought my daughter here to see how democracy works," said Dana Meacham of Rockford. Daughter Hannah, 16, got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House and Congress. I think the young lady got Obama's autograph, too.

[RockfordSoxFan]

Chicago Sprawl eating away at Rockford and Belvidere farmland, to add 12,000 residents. Here's the article from todays paper.


BELVIDERE — Residents of Deer Woods will get a chance to air their concerns one-on-one with developers of a proposed subdivision that would bring as many as 467 homes, commercial development and an environmental corridor to the city.


About 20 residents of Deer Woods, in rural Boone County, cited increased traffic, the effect Deer Hills would have on already crowded schools and safety issues surrounding the environmental corridor, which will contain water in ponds up to 100 feet deep.


They spoke before the city’s Committee of the Whole one week before the full City Council could approve the massive development, in an area bordered mostly by Squaw Prairie and Beaver Valley roads and U.S. 20.



Aldermen also were chastised by Mary Marquardt, president of the Belvidere Park District Board, for not making sure the district received enough land for future development of recreational facilities to serve the fast-growing area known as the West Hills Neighborhood.


Deer Woods residents, including Pat Panzica and Earl Tamar, told aldermen that their concerns had not been heard before the development was pushed along by the city.


More than 50 estate homes are proposed on roughly 60 acres of land next to the exclusive Deer Woods subdivision. Tamar presented to the city a petition signed by 30 Deer Woods residents.

But John Folvig of Landmark Development Inc., which is overseeing the project, told the committee that Landmark representatives had met with some residents of Deer Woods in November and since that time had scaled back the number of homes to be built near Deer Woods.

Most Deer Woods residents in attendance said they knew nothing of the meeting, and Mayor Fred Brereton suggested that both sides get together this week to see whether there are compromises that can be made.

Despite the concerns expressed by the Park District, Deer Woods residents and others living near the proposed development, Brereton stopped short of delaying next Monday’s vote.

Marquardt and Dan Roddewig, Park District executive director, said the five acres being proposed for the Park District should be upwards of nine acres, according to city ordinances in place regarding development.

The mayor also suggested that the Park District and Landmark talk.
The city plans to publicly report the results of both meetings Monday.

Deer Hills is the fourth planned development that’s part of a project to turn a largely rural expanse of the U.S. 20 corridor between Rockford and Belvidere into a bustling community called West Hills. The others are the 800-plus-home River Run development, and two other subdivisions — Landmark Crossing and The Preserves.

Those moving into West Hills could one day expect to live among 12,000 residents in a mix of commercial, retail and residential development.

[richardsonhomebuyers]

Anyone that thinks Rockford is a cool city most likely has never been there. Rockford sucks. Rockfords downtown sucks. Trashing dirty city.

[RockfordSoxFan]

^ richardsimmonshomebuyers- and your expecting an arguement from ....... ? Rockford has its problems just like any other mid sized (former) industrial city in America. Abandoned empty factories and warehouses all over the city. Unemployment. A crappy road system, with no good access to get downtown. A below average school system. An old city center slowly but surely undergoing revitalization. Urban sprawl outward along the expressway-tollway system.

On the flip side, there is a thriving theatre district, minor league sporting events nearly every night, big name concerts regularly. One of the best park systems anywhere around (city, county, and state), one of the biggest waterparks in the midwest. There are two colleges. There is a dragstrip, and a racetrack, which happens to hold the national short track championships every year. There are several Nascar drivers that got their start in Rockford. So if racing is your thing, Rockford is pretty cool. Golf coarses all over the place, seems to be a populer thing with Rockfordians. One of the fastest growing airports in the nation. Which ever one trips your trigger, there seems to be a bar or a church at every corner. Point being there is plenty to do, and plenty of cool things about Rockford as well.

Sure, Rockford is no Reno NV, Boulder CO, or Madison WI, but Rockford is no Gary IN either.

[Rockford]

A Perryville Place touted as solution to big-box sprawl

By HEATH HIXSON, Rockford Register Star
>> Click here for more about Heath

ROCKFORD -- When Ashlesha Nigam returned to Rockford after nearly a decade living on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, she felt that life here had become "fragmented" because of the sprawling way land had been developed.

Fresh from several years of experience in the housing market near Boulder, Colo., Nigam felt that Rockford deserved development different from big-box stores -- a theme that dominates the landscape of East Street Street and other Rock River Valley thoroughfares.

So she and her family sought a project with integrity, something "that was going to make a statement in a very tasteful and beautiful way."

They wanted something that could help start a regional movement focused on smarter development that not only connects with natural and community features but also includes multiple uses and a pedestrian element.

They came up with A Perryville Place.

Rockford-based Summit Real Estate Developments Inc. -- owned and operated by the Nigam family -- is building the 4.2-acre, 75,000-square-foot commercial complex taking shape at 6957 Olde Creek Road along the west side of Perryville Road near Spring Creek Road. It's expected to be completed this fall.

"Rockford is in a time right now that things are changing rapidly. And I believe it is important with the new development that is occurring, that the standards are raised when it comes to development," said the 30-something Nigam, who is president of Summit. "I really feel that the people of Rockford deserve to have higher-quality development and more mixed-use."

Nigam declined to disclose financial details of the project or the number of tenants that have entered into lease agreements. She did say interest in the space has been heavy.

Unlike many neighboring developments, A Perryville Place is a mixed-use project that will include "higher-end" restaurants, retail and office space on four floors.

The first floor will be dedicated to restaurants and retail, while the upper floors will be home to professional offices, such as medical and financial companies.

Nigam envisions the complex as a place were people work, dine and shop. She hopes the mixed uses will draw people to the development, including residents of nearby subdivisions.

The building design includes a curvy element with reflective-glass walkways connecting the top three floors, and metal bands encircling the building to give a sense of movement.

Landscaping will include hills blocking the traffic from Perryville Road and allow for connections to a nearby bike path. A parking lot will have 300 spaces.

Architects on the project are Boulder-based Barrett Studio and Hagney Architects in Rockford. A New York-based architect and the Nigam family also worked on the design.

Nigam said the design theme is meant to "flow" and connect with community features.

"We took the hills and we took the river, and we took all of those things, and the fact that I am a woman. One of our themes is 'everything comes from women,' so we came up with the idea of the curves," she said. "That's why the building is (curvy). That's why we have the bands, the sculptural art, the design out in front of the building. That's why the hills are (shaped the way they are). So that is how we came up with our theme."

Architecture firm Hagney said that the design also allows for transparency and a large amount of light throughout the complex. He said projects with creative design help provide an identity for a community.

"In the Nigam's case, they wanted to have some impact on the community," he said. "They wanted to make a difference. They wanted to give back to the community."

Glen Turpoff, executive director of the Northern Illinois Building Contractors Association, said the project carries features typically associated with more metropolitan areas.

He said the complex design includes elements of buildings in those areas that look to create a "living environment" for multiple purposes during the workday.

Turpoff said that while Summit Real Estate Developments is taking a financial chance by attempting an unproven design theme for this area, he still called A Perryville Place "a pioneering project" that could prompt other developers to think differently.

"I think it is going to be successful," he said. "I think it is going to be a precursor to other novel and interesting approaches to development."

[Rockford]

okay, so 205th isn't the greatest, but it's better than 240th. Moving on up......slowly. Next year, maybe 160th.....and so on...and so on....and so on

Local business climate improves
Rockford moves up 35 spots on Inc. magazine's list of top places to do business.

By ELIZABETH DAVIES, Rockford Register Star
>> Click here for more about Elizabeth



ROCKFORD -- There are two ways of looking at the Rock River Valley's most recent national ranking: Either we did well -- or we weren't as bad as we were last year.


Rockford came in at No. 205 out of 274 U.S. cities on Inc. magazine's list of the best places to do business. That's a step up from last year when we ranked No. 240.


"The end of the manufacturing recession has made a big difference in the impact on job loss," said Janyce Fadden, interim president of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council. "Job losses are still negative, but they're at a decreasing rate."



This year's list, which scored cities based on job growth, was published in the May issue of Inc. magazine, a publication for small businesses. Job growth for 2004 is weighted more heavily, but Inc. also factors in five-year job growth when it compiles the list.


The top city on Inc.'s list was Reno, Nev., which rose 12 spots to No. 1. Its main business benefits include cheap electricity and Internet hook-ups, which have attracted telephone support centers and circuit board makers, according to Inc.


Locally, the region has 9,500 fewer jobs now than it did five years ago. Still, they don't seem to be disappearing nearly as quickly. The region saw a 6.5 percent decline in jobs from 1999 through 2004. But we were nearly flat last year, dropping only 0.3 percent.


This year and next could look even better in the Rock River Valley with Belvidere's DaimlerChrysler plant leading job creation with 1,000 new workers. An additional 1,200 or more will come from nearby Chrysler suppliers.


"Based on what's happened this year, my guess is ... for the first time in five years, 2005 should be a job-growth year," said Fritz Jacobi, Rockford Register Star publisher and immediate past chairman of the region's top economic development group. "With that, we could move up another 20 to 30 spots, and that's a long way from where we were two or three years ago. We were near the bottom. It clearly shows to me that the local economy is picking up."


This year, the Rockford Area Economic Development Council -- previously the Council of 100 -- has two clear-cut goals: focus on growing our existing businesses and work on attracting new companies.


"We're spending a lot of time and money building up infrastructure," said Sue Mroz, the regional planning and development director for Winnebago County.


The area is gearing up for roads that can handle heavier truckloads, better bridges and more sewer lines. Mroz knows that if new companies are going to move here the county has to offer vacant land that is already hooked up to utilities and high-speed communication lines. "That's a big plus for '05," Mroz said. "As we get these areas ready and Chicago gets crowded, those companies will be moving here."


It's that type of preparation that helped launch Bloomington, Ind., 217 slots on Inc.'s list. It made the biggest leap of the year, landing at No. 19 from last year's 236 ranking.


Linda Williamson, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corp., credits her community's planning for the hundreds of jobs created there last year.


Several employers -- primarily in medical products and pharmaceuticals -- expanded in 2004.


"One company created 700 jobs in a major expansion," she said.


Since 1998, Bloomington has marketed and developed incentives for life-science companies. That's been key, Williamson said, in buffering the community amid general manufacturing downslides.


"Being prepared is the No. 1 thing," she said. "Our community was prepared when opportunity came along.


"Indiana has historically had a strong set of incentives for manufacturing companies, but a lot of the incentives for other companies have been left up to the local level. Our community has been a leader in setting up those incentives for nontraditional employers."

[wickedestcity]

im gonna be passing by Rockford tommorow on my way to Madison and then on my way back to chicago the next day . should i cheak anything out in particulare while i pass through ?

[RockfordSoxFan]

hmmmm, quick pit stops.... not really, its a bit off the beaten path, but Anderson Japanese Gardens should be cool this time of year. Exit off State Street and go west 1 mile to Perryville Road, north 2 miles to Spring Creek Road, west 5 miles. On your right just before HWY 251 overpass/interchange. Cant miss it, has its own stoplights at highcrest/parkview. Entrance fee is minimal. Its not run by the park district- thats why it isnt free. I know the Andersons though, and they are good people nonetheless.... So, by the time you exit I-90 and check out the AJG, you could be back on your way and on I-90 within 1 hour.

[wickedestcity]

cool , anything in the downtown worth checkin out?

[Rockford]

Actually, I'd recommend swinging through Beloit and checking out the historic college campus, poetry garden and the Ironworks murals on the Rock River. The lagoon and riverside park are nice as well. Downtown Rockford takes a lot of time to reach from 90 whereas downtown Beloit is only 5 minutes off the highway.

If you have plenty of time to kill though, you might want to head downtown and tool around a bit and then head north on Illinois 2 (if I recall, which will take you all the way to Beloit straight from downtown Rockford). You can hop back on 90 after seeing Beloit. (if you go to Beloit be sure to check out the Indian burial mounds which are scattered over the campus.)

[Rockford]

this was in the apper recently.....hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg...

http://cmsimg.rrstar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D1&Date=20050526&Category=NEWS0107&ArtNo=505260326&Ref=V1&Profile=1011&MaxW=450&MaxH=500&title=1

[Azn_chi_boi]

They gotta make a spur from I-90, I-39 to make its downtown grow. Those two interstates make a semi-circle in the east side of Rockford.

[Rockford]

Azn, you've hit the nail on the head. That has been Rockford's biggest problem for decades. Actually I think they need rail transit downtown more than a highway. Rockford (downtown) needs to hitch it's future to the Loop, more than to the interstate system, IMO.

[RockfordSoxFan]

Illinois Rt 2 is in the planning process of reconstruction. It will be a semi-limited access road with a boulevard style median with trees and planters all the way from HWY 20 to DT. Thus creating a speedy way into downtown off the freeway. I dont know if they are actually planning to build an interchange or two along the stretch or just eliminate residential streets from intersecting the new highway. This has been on the table for quite some time now, so we shall see how this project moves forward under our new city leadership. Hopefully quickly. FYI, Rt 2 is one block from the proposed rail station, kinda handy....