ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced the City of Rockford and the Northern Illinois Land Bank Authority will receive a combined total of $475,000 revitalization grant to support affordable housing and revitalization across the city.

“There are thousands of vacant lots across the state. Sadly, this includes hundreds in Rockford,” Stadelman said. “General maintenance on these properties cost the state and city millions of dollars each year. The money granted to Rockford and Winnebago County will give us a much needed opportunity to revitalize our community.”

The grants where made available after the Illinois Housing Development Authority Board approved $10 million in funding for the initiative. Awarded under the new Strong Communities Program (SCP), the initiative will provide the city of Rockford with funding for the attainment, maintenance, restoration and demolition of abandoned residential properties.

The program – which began in August –  awards grants of up to $250,000 to local governments to return vacant residential properties to productive use. A total of $30 million in grant funding will eventually be awarded through multiple funding rounds.

SCP Funding will reimburse municipalities for acquisition, rehabilitation, maintenance and other costs related to returning abandoned properties to a useable state. Program funds may also be used for demolition in cases where properties are beyond repair and negatively impacting neighboring residences.

“When money is spent to address properties like these, the value of homes in the surrounding area go up,” Stadelman said. “As a result, the program will help increase property values, create jobs, reduce crime and generate additional tax revenue.”

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is encouraging drivers to take advantages of the Rockford-Central driver services facility’s drive-thru license plate sticker renewal.

“Many people have expressed concerns about waiting inside during the ongoing public health crisis to renew their license plate stickers or standing in long lines in the cold,” Stadelman said. “I’m happy to see that the secretary of state’s office is offering people a safer and easier way to renew their registrations through the drive-thru service.”

The facility will be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Credit cards and checks will be the only accepted forms of payment, and customers will be required to wear masks.

Illinoisans with access to the internet can also renew their vehicle registration stickers and benefit from other online services provided at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. All expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards have been extended until June 1, 2021.

“If you can, please try to renew your registration online” Stadelman said. “The more people who do, will mean quicker service for people who have to use the drive-thru service.”

Stadelman would also like to remind Rockford residents the federal government has extended the REAL ID deadline by one year. The new deadline is now Oct. 1, 2021.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is highlighting that Midway Village & Museum Center, Discovery Center Museum of Rockford, Harry and Della Burpee Museum Association and Winnebago County will receive more than $1 million in combined grants to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits.

"Museums tell a story about the past, and remembering our past is crucial for shaping our present and future,” Stadelman said. “Learning about our state’s history is an important part of being an Illinoisan, and I’m glad more people will have that opportunity because of this funding.”

The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the state’s multi-year capital program, is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. The maximum grant award for the projects announced Wednesday was $750,000 and matching funds are required in many cases based on museum attendance levels.

“The Discovery Center, Burpee and Midway Village Museums attract thousands of visitors each year,” Stadelman said. “This grant program is making an investment in the Rockford community, which will spark economic growth in our community.”

More information on the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is available on the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/grants/Pages/Museum-Capital-Grants.aspx.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is urging local fire marshals to apply for The Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Small Equipment Grant program.

“This is another great opportunity for local fire departments and ambulance services to continue to best serve our community,” Stadelman said. “As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, additional funding for our first responders is needed more than ever to help keep them safe.”

ROCKFORD – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday that over $350 million in funding is set to be allocated as part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Project. State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is pleased to announced that the Rockford Mass Transit District will receive a portion of those funds.

“The Rebuild Illinois project is a great way for the state to make much needed and  long-overdue infrastructure improvements, and I’m pleased that the Rockford Mass Transit District will be receiving a grant,” Stadelman said. “Every day, thousands of people rely on the RMTD to get to and from home, work or school or to visit one of the countless local businesses that make our city great. With this grant, they’ll be able to provide a better and safer experience for riders, which is even more crucial during a global pandemic that is causing people to rethink their travel habits.”

IDOT will provide the RMTD with $6.85 million, which will be used for various maintenance related projects including:

• The purchase of new paratransit units and alternative fuel buses to replace existing vehicles that have reached the end of their lifespan;
• The purchase of technology, including radios, computer tablets, cameras and automatic passengers counters, to help enhance safety, improve operation connectivity, and streamline the process of transferring to the Stateline Mass Transit District; and
• The design, construction, purchase and installation of various electric and power equipment to reduce levels of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission.

“These funds will go a long way toward helping the Rockford Mass Transit District provide a more modern, efficient service that will greatly benefit those who use the system as well as the city of Rockford as a whole,” Stadelman said.

Friday’s announcement was the first of three grant distribution cycles, with the subsequent two scheduled to be released in 2021 and 2023. A full list of grant recipients from the first cycle can be found here.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is pleased to report that the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday that I-39 resurfacing and two other major projects that will enhance safety while helping to grow the regional economy are wrapping up.

The projects represent a total investment of more than $55 million in the region.

“These projects helped create jobs and set the Rockford region up for economic opportunity for years to come,” Stadelman said. “Maintaining our roads and bridges is vitally important.”

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is highlighting the second round of Business Interruption Grants the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is awarding to Rockford businesses and other small business communities that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19-related losses and closures.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of my community,” Stadelman said. “They need this grant money to endure, and I’m happy the state continues to prioritize communities like Rockford in these hard times.”

Forty Rockford-area small business will receive a total of over $1 million in this second round of BIG funding, which builds on the more than $49 million in grants awarded statewide in August. The Rockford area received nearly $2 million in grants during the first round, which ranged from $10,000 to $20,000 to assist businesses with expenses like payroll costs, rent, utilities, equipment and other possible unexpected costs to relieve the effects of the pandemic.

ROCKFORD — As parents continue to return to in-office work, they’re relying on child care providers more than ever. At the same time, many of those providers struggling to keep afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is urging Rockford area child care providers facing financial struggles due to COVID-19 to apply for the next round of Business Interruption Grants to help them remain open and provide more options for parents.

“An unprecedented number of parents are looking for child care providers with so many students doing hybrid or remote learning. Unfortunately, these providers were some of the hardest hit businesses due to the pandemic.” Stadelman said. “Now, their demand is higher than ever, which is why I’m urging providers to apply for these grants. They need to keep their doors open, and parents need safe places to take their kids.”