Rock Island is one step closer to making its downtown more attractive for development. On Friday, the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council approved the nomination of the Downtown Rock Island District for the National Register of Historic Places.
If approved for the National Register, downtown properties would be eligible for a 20 per cent historic tax credit. And city officials call that a significant incentive, along with the prestige of being considered a historic district.
The city used a grant to hire a consultant last year to research and draft the proposal, focused on the architects, styles, age of the buildings, and how well they're preserved.
The nomination now goes to the National Park Service for consideration in the fall.