Welcoming ROCKFORD letters relocated to downtown riverfront

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The welcoming ROCKFORD letters that once sat at the gateway to Davis Park have a new permanent home, along the Rock River in downtown.

GoRockford (formerly the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau), had the 4-foot-tall aluminum letters installed in 2020, coinciding with the opening of the Embassy Suites hotel.

However, as construction is soon to get underway on a $12 million renovation of Davis Park, the letters were removed.

On Wednesday, GoRockford unveiled the sign’s new location, along the riverfront behind the Rockford Public Library.

The unveiling was part of an expansion of the organization’s CRE8IVE: Transformational Art sculpture program, which is set to install 18 new sculptures throughout the city.

The program began in 2015, with 9 sculptures and has grown to 33 throughout the city, including along West State Street, South Main Street, Perryville Road, Broadway, 7th Street, Harrison Avenue, the Edgewater neighborhood, and downtown Rockford.

“The City of Rockford is proud to support the CRE8IV Sculpture Program through our arts grant program,” said City of Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “Public art is more than decoration; it’s a reflection of who we are as a community. By investing in projects like this, we’re making sure art is accessible in every neighborhood, strengthening pride in our city, and showing that Rockford is a place where creativity thrives.”