By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The city is pursuing a roughly $1.6 million state grant to buy and tear down six additional flood-prone properties in the Churchill Park area south of Keith Creek.

The goal is to reduce the number of properties in the floodplain and leave the land as open green space, which can capture rainfall and curtail the runoff from hard surfaces into overtaxed storm sewers.

This latest round of buyouts was in the works before this summer’s flash floods on July 13 and 14, which damaged 245 structures across Winnebago County, according to Winnebago County’s Emergency Service & Disaster Agency.

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On Tuesday, City Council members voted to approve applying for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant to fund acquisition, relocation and demolition of the six properties.

The project is expected to take 18 months and cost $1,590,179, all of which would be reimbursed by the state DNR.

City Administrator Todd Cagnoni said city staff are already working with property owners who faced damage this summer for future buyouts when the next round of state grants become available.

The city has dealt with flooding along Keith Creek since at least 1883, according to the Keith Creek Corridor Study. One of the most devastating floods came in 2006, when a massive flood submerged cars and damaged at least 700 homes and 80 businesses. Another critical flood hit just 11 months later.

Rockford responded by starting to buy up and demolish flood-prone properties starting in 2009.

It has already removed more than 120 properties since those efforts began. The most recent demolition included a strip center in the 2200 block of Charles Street that was torn down earlier this summer.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas