What’s next for transforming the former Rockford Armory after winning critical grant

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford Area Arts Council has made a key first step in what will be a yearslong process to repurpose the former Illinois National Guard Armory into a cultural civic center and artists’ lofts.

The council won a $1.54 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that is critical to efforts to clean up asbestos and other environmental hazards before redevelopment can move forward.

The process to revamp and reopen the nearly 90-year-old building, 605 N. Main St., will take years to complete.

Here’s a look at why the grant is significant and what happens next to bring the long vacant building back to life.

Why is the grant announcement significant?

The U.S. EPA grant was critical to funding cleanup of the site, which has asbestos, lead paint, mold and a former shooting range in the basement, among other environmental hazards.

Without the grant money, cleanup of the site would not have been able to move forward and the property would have been turned back over to the city.

While the project is still years away from completion, Mayor Tom McNamara said the city has seen challenging redevelopments like the Armory take similar first steps.

That includes the UW Health Sports Factory, a former Ingersoll factory at 305 S. Madison St. that’s been converted into a large amateur sports complex, and Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront, a downtown hotel at 416 S. Main St. that’s built out of the 13-story former Amerock factory.

“We are a ways away from it getting done, but the first steps of so many great facilities that we all know and love at the city — if its UW Health Sports Factory or if its Embassy Suites — it started with a grant very similar to this,” the mayor said. “So we are absolutely on the right track.”

What’s the next step?

The Arts Council expects to receive the federal funding in the fall. Then, they’ll take bids starting in October for the environmental remediation work.

When will cleanup work begin?

Work will likely begin next March, with the goal to complete environmental cleanup by December 2026.

That cleanup is designed to give the council a “blank canvas” to handle the rest of the redevelopment work.

When will redevelopment begin?

The goal is to have the financial capital stack ready for redevelopment to begin by January 2027, said Mary McNamara Bernsten, executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council.

“So it’s a long-term project. It’s a long game,” McNamara Bernsten said.

When would it open?

The goal is to open before the end of 2029, McNamara Bernsten said. She said the timeline can fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including how long cleanup takes and finalizing financing. A tight timeline could have it open in three years, with four years being more likely, she said.

“We want to capitalize on all this momentum and excitement,” McNamara Bernsten said. “We’ve received nothing but positive input from residents, legislators, community partners, leaders — it’s just been this really positive thing and you don’t want to lose momentum on something like that.”

What does it look like inside?

The building has fallen into disrepair, with peeling paint, water-warped floors and other water damage.

Take a look through our photo gallery from inside the building below, or see video HERE.

Photos: Inside the former Illinois National Guard Armory in Rockford

Who will lead the redevelopment?

The Arts Council doesn’t specialize in redevelopment, but it is partnering with two businesses that do.

Urban Equity Properties and Gorman & Co., which both have historic redevelopment experience and have tackled multiple other projects in downtown, plan to partner with the Arts Council on the project.

Gorman also has expertise in subsidized housing, which in this case will be subsidized housing for artists, McNamara Bernsten said. It’s been a yearslong effort to get affordable housing downtown for artists.

The mayor and the Arts Council have both stressed that the project will take public and private partnerships.

“It’s a great project for our community,” said Ron Clewer, Illinois market president for Gorman. “We’re here to support it as best we can and figure out how we can help bridge those partnership gaps.”

How will it be funded?

The project will be funded with a variety of public and private dollars, including the federal grant announced on Monday.

The Arts Council also plans to tap into tax-increment finance district funding, historic tax credits and environmental tax credits.

“What’s going to be that gap that the arts council has to fill. That’s going to be the challenging piece,” McNamara Bernsten said.

The project is still in its very early stages, so all funding sources haven’t been identified. However, it’s clear that it will take a multitude of partnerships to make it happen, said Justin Fern, founder and CEO of Urban Equity Properties.

“It’s going to take a lot of partners on this deal, not just private partners but lots of public partners from the county to the city to the state to the fed, nonprofits and everything in between,” Fern said. “It’s a large project. That building has been sitting vacant for decades, and it’s going to take a lot to do.”

How much will it cost?

The estimated redevelopment was $45 million about eight months ago, McNamara Bernsten said, but those costs are fluid in an ever-shifting economic picture.

“Things seem to be going up and up and up,” she said.

What will the final development include?

The vision is to turn the 57,000-square-foot property into a cultural hub for visual and performing arts. That could include anything from school performances to to providing a stage for groups such as the Rockford Youth Symphony Orchestra.

There would also be gallery space for resident artists, offices for cultural groups and rental space for weddings receptions and other special events.

Surrounding the main civic center space of the building would be approximately 25 studio apartments for artists. The goal is to bring artists together to inspire each other and spur collaboration.

Why is it important?

Mayor McNamara said Monday that investing in the arts and redeveloping a dilapidated building are both ways to help bolster Rockford’s economy.

He said the cultural civic center and artists’ lofts will elevate what is already a thriving arts community in Rockford.

“Local communities built to celebrate a thriving arts and cultural community always have more thriving economies,” McNamara said. “They also always increase quality of life, which in turn increases the number of people who want to choose to live in that city.”

Video | Inside the former Armory

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