Riverfronts (III)

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Riverfronts III

I have decided to make some edits to the last entry. We'll save the taller part of the Lawrence Bros. Building, but tear the rest of it down. Then instead of a riverfront walkway going over First Avenue, it'll go under First Avenue and also under both the LB Building and the National office complex.

Secondly, my original plan had a bit too much greenspace in the former NWSW property. I'm more into going by the preference on Page 65 of the Riverfront Redevelopment Plan.

http://www.hlplanning.com/dnn/Documents/tabid/1169/Default.aspx

However, there are a few changes I'd like seen.

Here's another list of things, to to follow what I'm saying, go to the map on Page 65 of the Plan.

1. Only tear down all except the five-story part of Lawrence Brothers.

2. Keep the National building on the corner of First and Wallace. Tear the rest of the buildings down.

3. Avenue C ends at "Depot Blvd", and that extends to Avenue E.

Everything else from my last entry remains the same.



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In the last entry, I created my vision of a new Sterling riverfront, but I wanted to exceed the boundaries of the actual study. I did this because I didn't think it would look athstetically pleasing to have the sides of it bounded by something radically different.

The more I look at the published plan, it seems as if the full area is exactly that which I laid out in the last blog entry.

I think we have to keep in mind that the more concentration we put into the development of this new place, the less concentration we will be putting on the downtown that we already have. How can we say that we don't want empty buildings when we would be creating, in essence, soon-to-be-empty buildings?

Plus, keep in mind that Rock Falls has their own seperate plan. We can't take away from that. I'll be listing some ideas in the next couple of paragraphs. Whatever can't be used by Sterling, can be used by Rock Falls (and vice-versa) [LINK TO RF RIVERFRONT BLOG]

A reader suggested to me that it would be a good idea if the new concept found a way to create more jobs in the area. Now that I think of it, I agree.

Before I do that, we have to figure out what this city needs. I ask myself the question, what do we go to Rockford and the Quads, and even LaSalle-Peru (!!!) for?

*New City Hall
*Arcade
*Public pool
*Hotel
*Bookstore (Borders/B&N)
*Boat Launch
*Skating
*Passenger rail (may come after all of this is complete)
*Hobby shop (or Hobby Lobby)
*VA Clinic
*Toy store?
*Outlet clothing (Gordmans/TJ Maxx)
*Ice Cream
*Banquet Center
*A Sonic drive-in
*Sporting goods
*Buffet
*Not a casino, but off-track betting
*Jimmy Johns
*Dave & Busters

I'll leave it at here for now. Any other ideas?