Renovation of an industrial development in Rock Island, Illinois. Conceptual plans call for the renovation of a industrial development.

The City of Rock Island, Illinois is hereby requesting proposals from qualified developers or historic preservation professionals to rehabilitate the Bear Manufacturing Building at 2016 5th Avenue and return it to productive use. It is the intent of this RFP to have the successful bidder enter a development agreement with the City to undertake rehabilitation of the building without any financial assistance from the City. The rehabilitation would be done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings. Upon successful completion of the rehabilitation, the City would convey the building to the developer for $1. The final use of the building is up to the developer, but must be reasonably compatible with the B-3 (community business) zoning district. The City of Rock Island, Illinois is centrally located in the Quad Cities, on the border of Illinois and Iowa,197 miles west of the Chicagoland area. Located on the bend of the Mississippi River, Rock Island is a historic community with many important older buildings. Among these is a building known as Bear Manufacturing Building located on southern periphery of downtown at 2016 5th Avenue. The building was recently identified as a contributing resource within the Downtown Historic District, which became listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2019. The two-story brick building was built in 1921 and used to manufacture automotive equipment up until the 1960s and later used as wholesale distribution and storage. More recently, the property has gone through a cycle of abandonment and largely sat vacant.