Rock Island has been approved for a new River Edge Redevelopment Zone, a step city leaders say will help revitalize neglected industrial areas and attract new investment.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity approved the city’s application in late October. The River Edge program offers a range of state tax incentives designed to encourage development on former industrial sites, known as brownfields, as well as the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Cities can qualify if they have a historical industrial base, are located adjacent to a river and are economically distressed.
At nearly 11.5 square miles, Rock Island’s zone is now the largest in Illinois. Stretching along both the Mississippi and Rock rivers, the zone is just under the 12-square-mile maximum. Developers working within it can qualify for incentives such as sales tax exemptions on building materials and tax credits for historic preservation, environmental cleanup and new construction jobs.
Community Development Director Miles Brainard said the program could remove barriers to make previously unaffordable projects more achievable.
“All of those kinds of activities cost quite a bit. And oftentimes here in Rock Island, those costs are what make projects non-feasible,” Brainard said. “Using some of the tools available through River Edge, though, we’re hoping that those projects can become more possible by helping to cover some of those costs through a range of different tax credits and other assistance.”
The approval follows years of groundwork by city staff. Rock Island began exploring River Edge designation almost two years ago after the city was approved as a nominee in 2024.
Brainard says for Rock Island, the focus isn’t just on development, but on making spaces usable. With added incentives for cleanup and redevelopment, he said the zoning benefits will help prepare the city for future business.
“We look forward to projects happening with this,” Brainard said. “We’ll be happy the first time someone utilizes the zone, and we see some of the kinds of wins that it brings that we may not otherwise have had.”
In October, the City Council also approved a feasibility study on creating a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in the city’s northwest industrial area. Rock Island has hired PGAV Planners to complete the study for $33,500 and hopes to create the North Rock Island Port District TIF by the end of the year.
Earlier this year, the council moved to close the 1st Street Tax Increment Financing District, citing poor performance.
This story was produced by WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. We rely on financial support from our listeners and readers to provide coverage of the issues that matter to the Quad Cities region and beyond. As someone who values the content created by WVIK's news department, please consider making a financial contribution to support our work.