By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our mobile app
ROCKFORD — An iconic element of the city’s skyline was removed Monday as part of ongoing renovations to the former News Tower.
Iconic Energy, which is redeveloping the former Rockford Register Star headquarters at 99 E. State St., took down the cupola that tops off the eight-story building to evaluate it for structural damage.
More news: As work begins, developer says Colman Yards in Rockford will be built entirely by Illinois contractors
Teague Dickey, CEO of Iconic Energy, said engineers discovered weld fractures while doing an exploratory investigation of the condition of the building’s exterior.
“We found that structurally it was a little weak,” Dickey said. “We quickly got historic approval to temporarily take it down so we can evaluate its condition and then reinstall it.”
It’s the first time in the 93-year-history of the building that the roughly 16-foot cupola has been removed. The structure weighs roughly 4,500 pounds, according to construction workers on site who lowered it with a crane.
“We’re going to either repair it and put it back up or replace it, depending on the magnitude of what we find,” Dickey said.
The former News Tower, now called the Iconic Building, is one of the city’s most recognizable architectural features. It was designed by famed local architect Jesse Barloga and built in 1930.
“The News Tower and the Jefferson Street bridge are two icons that really identify Rockford,” said Gary Anderson, the founder of Studio GWA and an expert on the city’s architectural history. “When you see those two buildings you know where you’re at and what they represent.”
Related: Iconic Energy aims to bring ‘heartbeat’ to downtown with revamp of the former News Tower
He said early drawings from Barloga described the cupola as the “Lantern of Liberty.”
“It was a symbol of the free press and how important that is,” Anderson said. “In today’s world that’s a pretty important symbol.”
Anderson said he saw the building without its iconic top while returning from a meeting to his downtown offices Monday morning.
“I was shocked when I saw it this morning,” he said. “Holy smokes, that’s what the crane was for.”
It isn’t clear now how long the building will remain without its cupola. That will be determined by the evaluation happening right now, Dickey said.
More news: Rockford banked millions in unexpected tax revenue. Here’s how it may spend the money
However, he said his team will make sure reinstalling the structure doesn’t interfere with the peregrine falcons that nest on the eighth floor of the tower each spring. Peregrine falcons, which were once on the brink of extinction, have now nested on the former News Tower for eight years. The birds of prey migrate south when the weather turns colder here.
“I’m trying to measure the severity of the damage to the cupola first, and then make a decision,” Dickey said. “The timing is important. I’m not trying to effect the peregrine falcons, I’m trying to work around their schedule.”
Peregrines are the city’s official bird.
The restoration of the cupola is part a multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan for the downtown building. Iconic Energy is renovating the building to include a restaurant, cafe, business offices, gym and riverwalk. The building will also be outfitted with solar panels.
The first tenants are expected to move into the renovated space in late 2024.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas