Rockford City Council votes down apartment plan for former addiction recovery center
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — City Council members on Tuesday rejected a proposal to redevelop a former addiction recovery center along Arnold Avenue near Lino’s into 29 apartments.
Aldermen voted 7-5 against approving a special-use permit for MKES Investments LLC to redevelop 310 Arnold Ave. into 483-square-foot apartments. After about three months of consideration, the vote came Tuesday without debate on the council floor.
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The proposal faced pushback from nearby residents and businesses who said it was too many apartments for the space and would create issues with parking and traffic congestion. Others raised concerns about safety and the quality of the proposed development when it was first brought forward in May.
The Lake County-area developer and proponents of the project said it would reactivate the space after more than three years of vacancy and help address local housing needs.
“There was a housing study that made it very clear in the city of Rockford that we need an excessive amount of housing,” Alderwoman Gina Meeks said after the vote. “It just feels like we keep presenting opportunities to bring housing to the community and it keeps getting rejected.”
The proposal was initially presented for 30 units, but the developer made changes this summer adding a laundry room and lounge that reduced the number of units.
The building was last home to the women’s dormitory for Reformers Unanimous, a Christian-based addiction recovery group. The developer had said rents would range from $700 to $900 in order to give residents attainable housing they can afford.
The development required City Council approval because it had too many units for the existing parking. The proposal required 6 more parking spaces than on site for the development. Under the current zoning, the project could proceed if the developer reduces the scope to 21 units.
How they voted
In favor: Gabrielle Torina, Janessa Wilkins, Bill Rose, Gina Meeks, Jeff Bailey
Against: Tim Durkee, Jonathan Logemann, Aprel Prunty, Frank Beach, Isidro Barrios, Mark Bonne, Chad Tuneberg
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
