Friends of Ziock, Rockford

2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Advocacy

The Friends of Ziock (FOZ) advocacy group successfully brought awareness and appreciation to the National Register listed Ziock Building in Rockford, a former factory built between 1912-1950. FOZ’s efforts, which included a commissioned study demonstrating the desperate need in Rockford for a hospitality development, compelled Gorman and Company to redevelop the former factory into the first downtown hotel in the city in 50 years. The new rehabilitated structure is now home to an Embassy Suites by Hilton, including hotel and convention space. The project took eight years to complete, but the President and CEO of the Rockford Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, John Groh, said, “In addition to opening Rockford to new tourism markets and customers (e.g. meetings and conferences, leisure customers and corporate travelers), I believe the redevelopment of this building will signal to the community that big dreams can be realized, that change is possible and that collaboration yields incredible returns on effort.” Landmarks Illinois called attention to the Ziock Building in 2015 as part of its “Historic Properties in River Edge Redevelopment Zones” listing on its Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. Today, Landmarks Illinois is recognizing FOZ for showing how a few strong advocates can help revitalize an aging, neglected building and  accomplish great things for their community.

 

(Photo credit: JW Aerial Image)

Project Principals

Friends of Ziock

Gorman Architectural Illinois, Inc

Developer: Gorman Holdings, Inc.

Contractor: Gorman General Contractors, LLC

 

(Photo Credit: C. Tyson Photography)

LI ASKS: WHY IS THIS PLACE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Don Bissell, Rockford preservation advocate, member of FOZ

Moving in 1976, I recall that Rockfordians were not as smitten with their “river city” as newcomers. One reason: No downtown hotel. Within a year, this concern became clear during an attempt to bring a 1,000-person convention to Rockford. There was no hotel downtown where performance and meeting facilities existed; the nearest were nearly 7 miles away. The first major hotel was built in 1892, named in memory of William Nelson (of Nelson Knitting fame). In 1959, a local syndicate bought and razed The Nelson in Feb 1961. On the east side of the downtown, the 11-story Hotel Faust opened in May 1929. Designed in the Art Moderne style, it was named for investor, Levin Faust. The building boasted a top-floor ballroom accommodating 1,500 guests. Bought by the Shriners in 1973 and renamed Tebala Towers, the building was converted in 1979 to an apartment complex in collaboration with HUD. So, for 41 years (Rockford east side) and 60 years (Rockford west side), no high-end accommodations were available downtown. Fast forward to 2010, when a feisty group of downtown advocates and historic preservation activists seized the opportunity to correct this deficit.

(Photo Credit: Fred DeLarosa)

How did saving this place impact people in your community?

Don Bissell, Rockford preservation advocate, member of FOZ

John Groh, President and CEO of Rockford Area Visitors and Convention Bureau says it best and supports the impact with metrics: “According to an analysis by Hunden Strategic Partners, the net new spending in the City of Rockford for the project is projected to total $738 million over the 30-year period, with $230 million in new employment earnings, 281 new full-time equivalent jobs and $24.1 million in taxes collected from the ongoing operations and the onetime construction impact. . . . the development of a downtown hotel and conference center has been on the city’s vision list of ‘things to accomplish’ for more than three decades. The positive impacts of this historic adaptive reuse project promise to be many and profound.”

During the more than 10 years FOZ sought to generate support and bring the Ziock project to fruition, we frequently reminded ourselves and the community that the huge scope of the project was both a barrier and an unprecedented goal — it could be the largest privately funded, non-industrial project in the history of the city. Groh adds, “In addition to opening Rockford to new tourism markets and customers (e.g., meetings and conferences, leisure customers and corporate travelers), I believe the redevelopment of this building will signal to the community that big dreams can be realized, that change is possible and that active collaboration yields incredible returns on effort.”

 

(Photo credit: Don Bissell)

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