Rockford's City Council voted 11-1 to let a Victorian-era home on North Main Street become a 20-room rental aimed at traveling nurses, laborers and other professionals who need somewhere to stay for a few months at a time. Alderman Kevin Frost cast the lone no vote, raising concerns about the short-term single-room occupancy use before the special-use permit cleared the council.
A Landmark Gets a New Purpose
The property at 2520 N. Main St. is the two-story Otis Eddy House, built in 1876 by Otis Eddy, described as a prominent farmer and master mason, according to Rock River Current. The house carries a Gothic Revival style and was most recently used as a furniture showroom for Village Green, which operated at the North Main location for 57 years before ending operations there in September 2024. Two weeks before the special-use vote, the council approved local landmark status for the home, making it the city's 30th local landmark — a designation that provides protection against changes or demolition of a significant property and requires the site to retain its historic design integrity as it is converted for new use.
Nathan and Lauren Erb bought the property in late June with plans to renovate the yellow Victorian house and an addition behind it into single-room-occupancy rentals. The sellers, Gloria and Mike Heath of Dixon, had originally planned to self-renovate the home and live in it during retirement, but they learned the property was not zoned for residential uses and decided to sell rather than pursue a zoning change themselves.
What the Rental Would Look Like
As proposed, the project includes 20 single-room-occupancy rentals with shared kitchen, laundry and bathroom facilities spread across the house and the attached addition. Earlier reporting from Rock River Current described the layout as seven bedrooms in the Victorian home and 13 in the addition, with shared bathrooms, kitchen and common spaces throughout. The owners envisioned the rooms serving traveling laborers, health care workers and other professionals seeking stays of roughly three to six months — an alternative to furnishing an apartment or paying hotel rates for months on end.
Gina Meeks said the owners were considering potential changes to the rental layout, a shift she said was being evaluated to address concerns about shared facilities. Under one version of that reconsidered layout, the project may reduce the room count by five, potentially shifting toward roughly 15 bedrooms to 11 bathrooms rather than the originally pitched 20-room design.
A Delayed Vote and Conflicting Timelines
The proposal was laid over at the September 21 meeting before winning approval on October 5. Rock River Current reported the council approved the special-use permit on an 11-1 vote, with Frost as the lone dissenter after he requested a delay that was seconded by Alderman Tamir Bell — a request that initially postponed the vote under the council's two-alderman rule, which pushes back a vote on its first appearance when two council members ask for more time. Yahoo News reported that the proposal was laid over and remained pending at the September 21 meeting, before the October 5 approval reported by Rockford News First. Rockford News First characterized the approved project as creating 20 bedrooms with shared living areas and commercial space, while also reporting that Nathan Erb purchased the house in April with the goal of turning it into a rental — a timeline that conflicts with Rock River Current's reporting that an LLC tied to the Erbs bought the house for $110,000 on June 30.
Neighborhood Reaction and Timeline
Dawn Granath voiced support for the Erbs' plan to put the landmark house back into active use, saying she was excited about the project coming to Rockford's northwest side and calling it new to Rockford and a potential driver for the area. Nathan Erb has said the plan is to start exterior improvement work this fall, with a goal of completing all improvements by the end of 2027 if the project moves forward as approved.
A Busier Stretch of North Main
The Otis Eddy House sits on what was once the full Village Green site, with North Main Market planned for the northern half of the property. Joel Zirkle and real estate professional Bobby Walsh are developing North Main Market, a project that, per WTVO/WQRF, is in the design phase with construction planned to start this fall and an opening targeted for spring or early summer of 2027. That market is expected to feature multiple food vendors, a bar, a commissary kitchen and a greenhouse for produce grown on site — giving the stretch of North Main two very different second acts at a site once associated with Village Green's nursery and furniture showroom.
