ROCKFORD — 505 North Madison Street, or more commonly known as the Coke Building, will continue to be a possibility as it heads to a full council vote next week.
The Planning and Development Committee for the city approved the project at Monday night's meeting.
The space could be redeveloped into event and entertainment businesses as well as more parking, including a solar powered pavilion.
Another Madison Street business, Smiley's Vintage, hopes the project is able to come to fruition, bringing more for the entire community.
"I think that'd be great just because downtown does have a lot of bars, there's a lot of stuff for older people. That's kind of why I opened is to give something more for the youth and then to have something like that would be even better for younger people and families," owner Ryan Smiley said.
Smiley's Vintage is overall excited about the future of the project.
"I mean I think it would be awesome obviously. It would just bring more people to downtown and just be another thing for people to walk to, ya know? Unfortunately, Rockford can be spread out so to have something just down the street from us that would bring in a lot of business you could just walk to that would be awesome," Smiley said.
This project could bring a $3.5 million overhaul and continue the development of Madison Street. In recent years other development for the area includes the Riverview Ice House and Prairie Street Brewing Company.
