Proposed industrial park could bring hundreds of jobs to south Rockford
Venture One Real Estate is proposing to rezone 166 acres in south Rockford for an industrial business park. The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved the change, which will proceed to other city committees and the City Council. The developer has clarified that this project will not be a data center, addressing previous concerns related to a nearby Monarch Energy data center plan.
Venture One Real Estate has proposed rezoning a 166-acre parcel of land along Edson Road near Gensler Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, from agricultural to I-3 industrial use for a new business park. Mark Goode, founding principal of Venture One, stated that the project could bring hundreds of jobs to the area.
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted 7-0 approval for the zoning change, marking the first step in the approval process. The proposal will now move to the city's Code and Regulation Committee and then to the City Council. The land is currently under county jurisdiction but has an annexation agreement to become part of Rockford.
Venture One plans to develop two large industrial buildings, ranging from 800,000 to 1.2 million square feet, for distribution centers or similar uses. Mayor Tom McNamara expressed support for Venture One, citing their track record in Winnebago County. Scott Capovilla, the city's planning and zoning manager, and Goode both confirmed that the proposed Venture Park 39 will not be a data center, addressing prior neighborhood concerns stemming from a nearby data center project planned by Monarch Energy. Additionally, Mayor McNamara confirmed that data centers will not be eligible for incentives from a proposed South Rockford Industrial TIF, which Venture One's project could benefit from.