ZION Development Corporation was founded in 1982 by members of Zion Lutheran Church. The founders were strongly influenced by two factors. The devastating recession of the late 70's and early 80's (when unemployment reached 25%) had accelerated the deterioration of the neighborhood's housing stock. During this same time, a steady influx of refugees to the Rockford area, especially from Southeast Asia, were settling in the neighborhood around the church.

ZION Development provides decent, safe, affordable housing to families with middle and lower incomes by purchasing and rehabilitating dilapidated multi-family buildings in Rockford's Mid Town District. Currently ZION manages over 100 rental units and plans to purchase and renovate more. ZION also renovates and sells single-family homes.

In 1992 ZION provided leadership in forming the Seventh Street Area Development Council, a grass roots, not-for-profit planning organization working plan in the Seventh Street area. This group is now known as the Mid Town District.

During that same year, ZION purchased the building that housed Rockford's only adult bookstore, a 24/7 business that had become a major focus of prostitution and drug activity. By refusing to renew the bookstore's lease, ZION immediately eliminated the business from the neighborhood. While doing that, we successfully lobbied for a new city ordinance that effectively prevented this business from relocating anywhere else in Rockford while also preventing other businesses of a similar nature from entering the city.

In 1995 ZION completed the construction of twelve brand new, highly energy-efficient townhouses. This was the neighborhood's first new residential construction in decades.

In 1997, ZION purchased the Grand Hotel, the most dangerous building in a nine county area (based on police records). By 2001, ZION had assembled over $5 million to totally renovate the building into 45 units of permanent supportive housing, Rockford's first such facility to serve the community's homeless population.

In 1998 ZION completely rehabbed the former Evergreen Addiction Treatment Center, now called Longwood Plaza, into 65 apartments for seniors with lower incomes. In 2001, Zion won a $3 million grant to establish a permanent endowment to operate a world-class wellness program for the residents at Longwood Plaza.

ZION encourages participation by neighborhood residents in neighborhood projects and in decisions made by our organization. At least one-third of our board members are neighborhood representatives.

Projects

ZION Development Corporation is best known for our high quality rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings. It seems that there is always a project going on, many of them are smaller and do not receive much attention, others are massive projects involving millions of dollars.

You can learn more about the projects that we currently have under development by following these links:

• The Lantow Building
  
• 722 S. Fifth Street
  
• Wellness Center of Longwood Plaza
  
• Storefront space next to Pickerman's Soup and Sandwich Shop
  

Our list of completed projects is, of course, much longer. You can find more detailed information about each project by following these links:

• Longwood Plaza (Senior's Housing)
  
• The Wellness Program
  
• Grand Apartments (Housing for the Formerly Homeless)
  
• Pickerman's Soup and Sandwich Shop
  
• The Apartments at 528 Seventh Street
  
• 524 Seventh Street
  
• The ZION Townhouses
  
• Single-Family Homes