‘We’ve got to keep going to get this done’: Here’s what happens next on Barber-Colman in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — City Council’s vote on Monday in favor of redeveloping the Barber-Colman factory was the end of a difficult chapter and the beginning of a new journey to change the look of southwest Rockford.

But there are still a multitude of steps to make to make sure the projection reaches fruition. That work started Monday night as City Hall leaders reached out to Milwaukee-based developer J. Jeffers & Co. to tell them the project has the council’s support and try to ensure they still plan to go forward.

“Council’s overall approval of the development being 14-0 hopefully sends a message that the city of Rockford is committed to working with J. Jeffers and give a level of confidence to their lenders and supporters to keep this project going forward,” City Administrator Todd Cagnoni said after the meeting.

Previously: Rockford City Council rejects labor deal requirement, approves redevelopment of Barber-Colman

The developer would next need to finalize their financing, provide notice to their general contractor to move forward and the city needs to schedule the closing sale of the city-owned property, which J. Jeffers has agreed to buy for $500,000.

“It’s great to see this project move forward, but it’s a marathon,” Cagnoni said. “We’ve got to keep going to get this done.”

City Council ultimately unanimously approved the redevelopment deal that provides the developer with financial support to turn the 26-acre site into 964 living units and roughly 130,000 square feet of commercial space over the course of roughly a decade. The deal focused on the first $170 million phase of construction.

“I will continue to work to build bridges with J. Jeffers as I have, and as many of you know that I have,” Mayor Tom McNamara said during the meeting. “I will also hold them accountable to the promises that they’ve made.”

The 14-0 vote of approval came after a contentious decision over whether to require the developer to reach a project labor agreement suitable to the Northwestern Illinois Building Trades union in order for the project to go forward. Aldermen voted in a 7-7 split over that point before McNamara broke the tie, rejecting the labor mandate and pushing the project forward. McNamara said it was the most difficult discussion he’s been involved in during his time both as an alderman and mayor.

“Last week was probably as heated as I’ve ever seen (City Council) get, and I hope that we can return to a level of decorum and professionalism,” said Alderman Kevin Frost, a 4th Ward Republican. “We all have to work together like any other legislative body to, at the end of the day, keep moving forward.

“We all want to do the right thing for Rockford or none of us would be here. We all are concerned about Rockford. We all love Rockford.”

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McNamara said that both sides of the decision support organized labor. He said he and others who rejected a labor mandate are not opposed to a project labor agreement, so long as it is reached through negotiations and not mandated by the city. He has noted continuously that the city has never required a project labor agreement as a stipulation of a redevelopment deal, but those labor agreements are often reached at a later time.

“People tried to pin sides when really we weren’t on opposing sides,” McNamara said. “I think everyone wanted it; it’s just how do you get there.”

Creating policy

A project labor agreement is a form of collective bargaining on construction projects that’s intended to provide for greater worker safety, ensures skilled laborers handle the job and guarantee no pickets or work stoppages.

Supporters of requiring a project labor agreement felt that J. Jeffers had not demonstrated a willingness to negotiate such a deal without the mandate.

Frost said the developer refused to come to the table on several occasions to reach a deal with union labor. He suggested that may be a de facto way to back out of the deal.

“Are we in a situation where this is an easy punt to say, ‘Interest rates are higher. Costs of construction are higher. We don’t want to do the deal?’ Then come forward and say that,” Frost said. “If you truly want to transform the southwest side and you want to take Barber-Colman and create Colman Yards, come back to the table.”

Related: Follow the money? City Council members on both sides of Barber-Colman vote have labor support

Opponents said that by mandating a project labor agreement the city would have unfairly put all the negotiating power in the union’s hands because the project could only go forward with their approval.

The issue was such a contentious sticking point that now the City Council may create a policy on the matter. Alderwoman Gabrielle Torina announced earlier in the meeting Monday plans to bring a policy discussion before City Council committees.

“We need to research the issue. We need to talk about the best practices of that issue,” McNamara said. “We need to then find out what will work best for our community, and we need to draft such a policy.

“We also need to let our staff know what tools they have and what boundaries they need to work within as they begin to negotiate. Not at the end of when they negotiate.”

Working with labor

Part of the debate centered around questions of whether union labor could meet the developer’s goals of including minority- and women-owned contractors. The developer felt a labor deal could limit the pool of contractors it could work with within the federal Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs.

Union leaders countered that they could provide a diverse workforce.

The building trades has been working for more than 15 years to build a more diverse workforce, labor leaders said. That includes partnerships with Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, YouthBuild and Rockford Public Schools to create a path to pre-apprenticeship programs for minorities and other underrepresented groups.

“Unions are constantly out in the community providing diverse students, community organizations, and residents with resources and direct connections to help steer young people into middle-class careers that do not require a college degree,” Sara Dorner, president of Rockford United Labor, and Alan Golden, president of the Northwestern Illinois Building Trades Council, wrote in a joint letter.

Alderwoman Gina Meeks, McNamara said, will be working to create a committee that aims to help bolster pathways for women and minorities into the trades.

“I will support financial backing from the city of Rockford into that, so we can continue to build on much of the good work that many of the trades have done,” McNamara said.

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McNamara also thanked unions before casting his tiebreaking vote.

“I want you to know I remain committed and this administration will remain committed to working with and for the hardworking men and women and their families across Rockford,” he said.

Working with the developer

McNamara also thanked J. Jeffers for its willingness to invest in Rockford.

“We hear a lot of discussion about out-of-town, out-of-state developers and we hear it in this negative,” he said. “If we want to be a really strong community, we have to engage and appreciate out-of-town developers.

“We want people to invest in our buildings and in our people.”

Torina, who represents the 5th Ward where Barber-Colman is located and has been one of the project’s biggest advocates, asked J. Jeffers to extend the community grace after a divisive week of dialogue.

“Rockford is better than the destructive behavior and inflammatory remarks you have recently endured,” Torina said. “I only hope that the authentic interactions that you’ve had with our wonderful residents, community stakeholders and premier city staff can somehow erase the embarassment that has been called.”

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Torina read from an open letter to J. Jeffers that was part apology and part promise to work together to bring the project to fruition.

“From the very start your team has treated this project as something that meant more to you than simply profit, and you have legitimately become our friends,” Torina said.

“Rockford is a city that you can and should do business with. This project signifies an extraordinary new beginning for our city that will change lives, and I look forward to us finalizing our plans and establishing what will be a world-class partnership.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas