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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com
July 2021
IGNITE: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Live like a local CARMEN KELLERMAN IGNITE
What would be in your Rockford guidebook?
As I was coming back from my trip to Tennessee, I started thinking about all the activities my husband and I found to do in Memphis, Nashville, Lynchburg and Chattanooga. Each of our AirBnbs had a guidebook, and that is where we found many of our activities. It got me thinking- what would I include as “must-sees” in my guidebook?
Start Your Day Right Rockford Roasting Company. Find them at Embassy Suites and at their storefront. Both on Main Street. Meg’s Daily Grind. Find great coffee at their locations on Riverside, Perryville or their coffee truck. Wired Café. Stop by Wired for some great coffee, breakfast or lunch!
Restaurants I Recommend Tavern on Clark. Enjoy dinner on their patio in the summer! Greenfire. Go here if you are looking for food cooked in a state-of-the-art woodstone oven. Giordano’s. This is the place to go for some deep-dish pizza without having to go to Chicago! Beef-A-Roo. Here you will find fast food like no other! Don’t forget the cheese fries!
Local Stores to Visit Rockford Art Deli. Take a piece of Rockford home with you! Roxy Carmichael. A boutique that has something for everyone. Rocktown Adventures. Visit them to explore your outdoor adventure side.
What to Do Inside While in Rockford Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum. A historic house museum located in the heart of Rockford, Illinois. Laurent House Foundation. A Frank
Lloyd Wright house built right here in Rockford for the Laurent family! Midway Village Museum. Learn about Rockford’s history! Visit the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for more information on events happening while you are in town.
What to Do Outside While in Rockford Anderson Japanese Gardens. Experience gardens like you never have before! Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Enjoy 155 acres of woodlands and botanical gardens. Rockford Park District. Spend the day at one of Rockford’s many parks! Severson Dells Nature Center. Find your inner nature lover at Severson!
Day Trips Prairieview Golf Course in Byron. Only a 30-minute drive. Stop by this golf course for 18 holes or stop by PrairieFire Golf & Grill to play golf with Toptracer® technology!
Brews and Booze Prairie Street Brewing. Enjoy Dinner on the Dock while you sip some local beer! Barnstormer Distillery. Rockford’s very own distillery! Check out the local spirits while on your trip! Artale Wine Co. Family-owned and -operated wine, beer and spirits store. Set up a private tasting! Visit www.rockford.com, click on the Business Directory for more recommendations. IGNITE MEMBERS: Tell us on our Facebook page or Instagram: What would you include in your Rockford guidebook? Carmen Kellerman is event & program coordinator at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and IGNITE.
Built in 1969, the nearly 235,000 square feet concrete buildings on 5.35 acres with mechanical failures and deteriorating construction materials were deemed beyond repair.
RHA prepares aging structures for safe demolition Workers on May 24 began setting up secure safety fencing surrounding Brewington Oaks Apartments near downtown Rockford as the Rockford Housing Authority prepares the aging structures for safe and prudent upcoming demolition. “The first step will be a soft demo, starting inside Brewington,” said Laura Snyder, CEO. “During that time, the crew will take down all the artifacts RHA wants to preserve.” The Brewington Oaks housing development opened in 1969 in the city’s ORCHiD neighborhood, to provide housing for senior citizens and the disabled. The buildings were originally called Campus Towers because they were located close to the original site of Rockford College, now Rockford University. The Towers were renamed to Brewington Oaks Apartments after Al Brewington, a staff member who worked his way from maintenance to assistant executive director in his 21 years with the Rockford Housing Authority. The concrete buildings, comprising 233,281 square feet on 5.35 acres, are on the brink of
infrastructure failure. When in 2018 Rockford Housing Authority first announced the intention to demolish the property, occupancy was at 42 percent and 90 of the 418 units were deemed uninhabitable with mechanical, electrical and elevators performing poorly in comparison to modern standards. Roofing and original internal construction materials were deteriorating beyond repair. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved tenant vouchers for residents, and the RHA used a variety of financial tools to replace, relocate and find quality affordable homes for the residents and ongoing counseling. RHA Commissioners awarded a $1,544,400 demolition contract to N-TRAK Group of Loves Park to raze the twin 14-story towers at 505 and 515 Seminary Street. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had given RHA permission to demolish the towers in 2018 but RHA has asked developers last year to submit requests for qualifications to possibly redevelop the site.
