The Rockford Public Library is on the brink of an exciting new chapter in its 150-year history, but it begins with a location no one wanted at the time. In 1901, county supervisors looking for a place to build Memorial Hall, declined a riverfront site due to “the stench”. Instead the public library, with a grant from Andrew Carnegie, was built on that site. It was opened in 1903 and remained in use to the public until November 2017.

For the past seven years of its use, the community was aware that “the stench” sniffed by city forefathers was contaminated land and needed to be remediated. Commonwealth Edison had inherited the problem from the initial utility company, and, with other utility companies in Illinois, had accepted responsibility for the clean-up of thousands of sites in Illinois. This process has been ongoing for twenty years for locations all around Illinois. A special fund pays for the cleanup and the restitution for businesses, homes, and agencies that are displaced because of the clean-up.

From 2010 to 2017, the Library Board negotiated with ComEd to broker the best possible deal for the Rockford community. At the beginning of the process, it was thought that the Library operations would move out and that clean-up would occur around and under the building. Midway through the process, it was acknowledged that in order to fully remediate the site, the library building would have to be torn down. There were years of discussion as to whether the Replacement Main Library should be built on the riverfront or elsewhere.

The Library completed, from November 2013 to May 2014, a Request for Qualifications process to look for an architect to help with the process. The Library Board interviewed five firms of the many responses received from qualified architectural firms. The firm of Engberg Anderson, which had designed 180 Library projects (5.5 million square feet of public library space), partnering with the local firm of Gary Anderson Architects, was selected. They helped the Library Board devise criteria for the selection of land for a permanent move of the Main Library. The criteria included a location within a certain perimeter of the downtown area, available parking, floors that could bear the significant weight of library books, and enough square footage for library operations. At the same time, the Library Board developed similar criteria for a temporary location.

In 2015, the Library Board was still investigating the property but also heard from community residents that you wanted the Replacement Library to be on the river site. There were letters to the editor; there were telephone calls; Library Board Members and Administrative Staff were lobbied to keep the library on the river.

On March 22, 2016, the Library Board held a public meeting at the Nordlof Center. Approximately 125 people attended to hear about the search process and the finalists for a library site, with a conclusion from the Library Board that only the riverfront location had enough space for permanent library operations and parking in the downtown area. Those present were overwhelmingly in favor of that conclusion. Over one hundred people participated at tables on the stage area to discuss the challenges and opportunities of returning to the riverfront location.

In the Fall of 2016, the Library Board received approval from the City Council to purchase 214 N. Church, where the current Hart Interim Library is located, and to purchase 227 N. Wyman Street. The building at 227 had been gutted; the Library Board wanted to protect the riverfront location and control the property. They were also hopeful that the building and land could be returned to the tax rolls and provide income.

In April 2017, the Library Board approved an agreement with ComEd that included the Library moving to the interim site, the demolition of the old Main Library, remediation of the land, and construction of a Replacement Main Library – all paid by the special ComEd funds. At the same time, the City Council approved an agreement with ComEd that included replacing landscaping along the riverfront and replacing infrastructure, such as sewer and water lines, at the riverfront site. In addition, the City Council approved an agreement with the Rockford Library Board that the Replacement Main Library would be built back on its historic riverfront site.

Remodeling for the interim site at 214 N. Church St commenced in May 2017. The old Main Library closed on November 25, 2017, and the Interim Hart Library opened on December 2, 2017. Demolition of the old Main Library is beginning. It is hoped that remediation will be finished in 2020 and construction of the new Replacement Main will begin shortly after, with an opening date in 2022 – in time for the Library’s 150th anniversary.

During the long, seven-year process of negotiations, the Library Board had few opportunities to ask the public, “What do you want in your new library building?” With the help of Transform Rockford, in April, May, and June of 2018, the Library Board engaged in six public envisioning sessions, one in Spanish, plus staff visited the four public high schools, a Rockford Leadership group of the Chamber of Commerce, Carpenter’s Place, and other local organizations asking for that input. 700 ideas were offered at the public sessions. The ideas focused on Site, Services, and Spaces. With the assistance of the Rockford Park District, an online feedback survey was developed to help the Library Board prioritize the top ‘vote getters’ from the sessions. You can read about those results at…

The Board and staff heard loud and clear that a connection to the river was important. So important that one group lobbied to have the library ‘in the river’ – they quickly explained, “not actually in the river, but appearing to be part of the river”. The Board heard from people who bemoaned that the old Main Library appeared to have been ‘plunked down’ on Wyman Street, and then it was realized that there was a river next to the building.

It’s true that the 1960’s building did little to interact with the riverfront. That is something that envisioning session participants rallied around with phrases like, “lots of glass windows”, and “river views – particularly on those cold winter days and extremely hot summer days”. Natural lighting, patios, a dock, natural gardens, learning gardens, butterfly gardens – lots of gardens –, fire pits, benches, walking paths, and outdoor “science/nature” labs were some of the ideas mentioned.

The Library Board will do its best to meet the needs of our community and then the wants of our community. To that end, the Library’s Executive Director is meeting with the City of Rockford and Park District personnel and others on the Davis Park task force to help strategize a cohesive plan for the riverfront, from the Davis Park area then north four blocks to behind the Wyman Street Library’s site.

In addition, with the assistance of the City Administration, the Library Board published a Request for Qualifications for a developer for the 227 N. Wyman property. In spite of personal contacts the Board President made with two developers, that the Executive Director made with another developer and that the architects made with still more developers, the Library received only one response. The negatives heard included that the site was too small, there was a lot of development work happening in the Illinois-Wisconsin-Iowa area and the developers were too busy.

However, the one response the Library Board received was from a well-qualified firm, with the stability and financial assets to successfully build their proposed plan. Images displayed in the media are place-holders – essentially boxes to show that the two buildings could fit, with the walkway in between, and the riverfront restored. The balcony areas shown are to demonstrate that the building would be sensitive to the river, which the proposed developer sees as a great asset.

The Library Board has heard concerns that no local developers were aware of the RFQ process. In light of those concerns, a second RFP process was conducted, with two responses, including the firm that responded to the first RFP. Neither response was from a local company. The Library Board worked with the City Council to approve the developer, as they have in the past when the City Council approved the purchase of the 227 N. Wyman and 214 N. Church Street properties.

At all times, the Library Board has been open to ideas and input from the public. In fact, listening to the public is what drove the decision to return the Replacement Main Library to the riverfront. In the meantime, the demolition of the old Main Library Building was completed, with less than 7% of the building materials going into a landfill. Recycling and reuse of the building materials was important to the Library and to Commonwealth Edison. In advance of the demolition, the Library held an auction that allowed businesses and individuals to purchase lights, wall paneling, machinery and other items. Those proceeds went to the Rockford Public Library Foundation. Demolition was completed in the Fall of 2018.

Additional soil borings and planning for the remediation of the land continued throughout the winter of 2018-19 and Spring and Summer of 2019. Removal of contaminated soil starts in October 2019.

What is ahead?
– Design of the Replacement Main Library – interior functional design work has begun
– Remediation of the land at 215 N. Wyman and along the riverfront – to be completed in 2021
– Construction of a Replacement Main Library – starting in 2021, completion in 2023
– Celebration of the Rockford Public Library’s 150 years of existence – 2022!