ROCKFORD, IL — Milwaukee-based J. Jeffers & Co. plans to kickstart its stalled historic redevelopment of the former Barber-Colman factory campus by breaking the $120 million Phase 1B into smaller chunks, first aiming to convert a pair of connected industrial buildings into 150 market rate apartments.
CEO Joshua Jeffers said the quickest path to rejuvenate the project is by starting with what is known as Buildings 12 and 13. Plans are to convert them into a $60 million apartment complex before moving on to redevelop four planned commercial buildings.
“They’ll definitely be very distinctive apartment units with features that you very rarely see in new construction, with the high ceilings and the huge windows and a lot of architectural character — from original wood floors staying in place and some of the other timbers and brick finishes that, again, just really give it a lot of integrity and character,” Jeffers said.
Plans are for a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. There will also be a few three-bedrooms.
All should have amenities like in-unit washer and dryers along with access to community recreation rooms and a fitness center. Rents are expected to range from $1,200 to $1,800 a month. Larger apartments and those with the best views of the Rock River will likely go for the higher rental prices.
The commercial buildings, which would come later, are expected to include office space, coffee shops and restaurants among others.
Jeffers said he expects construction to begin in late 2026, but lots of work is needed before that can happen.
Needs new capital stack
The hope is to transform a long blighted and sprawling industrial campus off South Main Street in southwest Rockford into a neighborhood of apartments, homes and businesses along the Rock River called Colman Yards.
The vision is that eventually it would be home to 970 apartments and townhomes, 110,000 square feet of commercial space and 150,000 square feet of public open space, trails and riverfront access.
But work that began in 2023 with a planned $170 million Phase 1A came to a halt on other parts of the complex in December 2024. Work had included apartments on the largest of the buildings and a new parking garage. It fell apart amid union strife because of the use of non-union labor and a dispute with a Chicago-based general contractor that was ultimately fired. Both the contractor and developer blamed each other for the failure.
With an ongoing lawsuit, the project cannot start where it left off. Instead, Jeffers is planning to rejuvenate what could be a $430 million investment by beginning with what had originally been anticipated as a second phase.
It could take until late summer for the company to finance what would become the first small part of the rebooted project. Jeffers needs to obtain a construction loan, line up historic tax credit investors and arrange for other funding sources needed for a new capital stack.
Contractors submit bids
More than 110 union contractors have submitted bids for work needed for the project. Most are from the Rockford area. Those bids are being reviewed and used to construct a final budget. Jeffers said he hopes to submit architectural drawings needed for a construction permits by mid-June.
This time around, Jeffers is working with Cherry Valley-based Ringland-Johnson Construction as general contractor and utilizing all-union labor. Ringland-Johnson has completed historic redevelopment projects, the Winnebago County Criminal Justice Center and the Hard Rock Casino Rockford.
CEO Brent Johnson said he is confident Colman Yards will proceed despite its past struggles.
“We are the general contractor and have been assured by J. Jeffers the project will happen,” Johnson said. “All the indications and signs we get are very positive that it will happen. For example, they are spending money on security every day and night. They are investing time with the architects and working with Ringland-Johnson. They wouldn’t be doing that if it wasn’t going to happen, they would cut their losses and just stop communicating.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford’s Colman Yards to restart in 2026 with $60M in apartments
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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