A shuttered nursing home on Rockford's south side could soon become a 128-bed inpatient substance use treatment facility, after the city's zoning board voted 4-2 to recommend approval of a special-use permit despite objections from nearly two dozen neighbors. Alsos Behavioral Health wants to convert the former River Crossing of Rockford at 1660 S. Mulford Road into a 128-bed locked treatment center, with an average of 122 patients expected on site at any given time and typical stays of about 30 days.
The proposal went before the Rockford Zoning Board of Appeals this week after three months of delays, according to Rock River Current. Board members Tom Fabiano and Craig Sockwell cast the dissenting votes. Neighbors who packed the hearing raised concerns about safety, illicit drug activity, property values, and traffic congestion, while attorneys from AGHL Law argued the treatment use does not conform to what is permitted in the R-3 multifamily residential zoning district. Attorney Greg Cox told the board the proposed use is not allowed in R-3 regardless of the type of medical facility involved, and AGHL Law recommended Alsos instead pursue approval through a planned unit development process.
City Staff Reversed Course After Months of Talks
Rockford city staff initially recommended denial of the proposal but changed their position after several months of discussion, per the same account. Scott Capovilla said Alsos addressed the city's concerns with an updated plan, and staff ultimately endorsed using the special-use permit process rather than requiring a planned unit development, telling the board the proposal would not fundamentally change under a different review path.
Gino Galluzzo argued the facility operates fundamentally differently from a nursing home, since new patients would cycle through on a monthly basis rather than staying long-term. He estimated more than 1,500 people would come and go at the site annually based on the 128-bed capacity and 30-day average stays. Alsos says the facility will be locked, with patients allowed to leave only under staff supervision or upon discharge, and the company plans a staffing ratio of one therapist per 16 patients. The operation would employ up to 100 people, with 55 workers on site during the largest shift.
A Company Rebuilt From Regulatory Collapse
Alsos Behavioral Health was formerly known as Landmark Recovery, a corporate history that carries real weight in Rockford's debate. The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction revoked licenses for three Landmark Recovery facilities in July 2023 following three patient deaths within a single week and more than 200 police and emergency calls at its Mishawaka facility, according to WFYI. The revocation followed demands from local police for state intervention over staffing and patient safety failures.
Landmark Recovery reached a settlement with Indiana regulators in April 2024 that allowed it to reapply for facility certifications under strict new compliance and staffing monitoring, as reported by Behavioral Health Business. The company's troubles didn't end there. Landmark filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in August 2025 amid a dispute over unpaid rent with landlord Sabra Health Care REIT and liabilities estimated between $1 million and $10 million. Out of that reorganization emerged Alsos Behavioral Health — a name derived from the Greek word for grove — which now operates eight to nine locations across Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio under brand names including Grove Recovery, according to Recovery.com. The Rockford site would mark the company's first location in Illinois.
A Property With Its Own Troubled Past
The Mulford Road building previously operated as River Crossing of Rockford, a long-term care nursing facility. The Illinois Department of Public Health now lists the facility as inactive.
Andrew Smith, representing Alsos, described the treatment model as removing patients from their daily circumstances to support sobriety and behavior change. He said another provider could expand treatment access in the Rockford area, where Rosecrance already provides substance use disorder treatment, and argued that recovery often requires multiple approaches along with additional community counselors. Rosecrance Behavioral Health provides substance use disorder treatment in the Rockford area and operates the 97-bed adult residential Harrison Campus along with separate adolescent and crisis facilities.
The Public Health Backdrop
The push for more treatment beds comes against a grim statistical backdrop. Winnebago County ranked first among Illinois counties for drug overdose death rates between 2019 and 2024, according to public health data reported by WIFR. Statewide, the picture has improved somewhat: Illinois drug overdose fatalities fell 8.3% in 2023, the state's first annual decline since 2018, per the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Alsos attorney Sarah Jane Hunt leaned on that need during the hearing, arguing that denying the request would discriminate against people with substance use disorders, invoking the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hunt said people need the facility because of their disability and require varied treatment and care.
What Happens Next
The zoning board's recommendation is only advisory. The proposal now heads to the Rockford City Council's Code and Regulation Committee, which meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
