Stepping Stones of Rockford cut the ribbon Thursday on a new corporate headquarters at 4930 E. State St., moving its administrative offices, arts programming and client services into a renovated building nearly double the size of the space it occupied for 35 years. The nonprofit, which provides mental health treatment and housing, relocated its corporate office to the new facility effective Sept. 8, closing the book on more than three decades at 706 N. Main St.
The new facility includes 25,706 square feet, according to rrstar.com, which reported that the move followed 35 years at the organization's previous location and was driven by the need for additional space. As Rock River Current reported, the new headquarters is approximately twice the size of the nonprofit's previous location and sits inside what had been the former Road Ranger headquarters before renovation. Stepping Stones' old space at 706 North Main Street has since hit the market, according to a post on the organization's own news blog.
Growing Demand Drove the Search for More Room
Stepping Stones said the move was prompted by growing demand for its services, according to the nonprofit's own announcement. CEO Susan Schroeder, LCSW, said the expanded space will allow the organization to further enhance services to individuals in its program and allow it to meet future demand for its mental health treatment, per the same rrstar.com account. Rock River Current additionally reported that Schroeder said the nonprofit had outgrown its former space and planned extra office space to accommodate future growth.
The renovated building now serves as Stepping Stones' administrative headquarters, the home of its Stars of Light dramatic and visual arts program and a center for client services, the station's report noted. Services offered at the site include admissions, telepsychiatry, nursing and counseling, among other client-facing functions. Rock River Current reported that the building also includes group-programming space, staff offices, a dedicated admissions office, a nursing office with telehealth capability, counseling offices, multipurpose space, a training room and conference rooms, along with a shower, laundry and other services for unhoused clients involved in residential housing.
County Mental Health Tax Helped Fund the Project
The project was supported in part by a grant from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, whose funding comes from a voter-approved half-cent sales tax, per the same rrstar.com account. Rock River Current reported that Stepping Stones received $1.5 million toward its move from the board, which funded the project through the half-cent mental health sales tax. Winnebago County voters approved that half-cent sales-tax increase for mental health services with 61.2% voting yes in March 2020, according to r1planning.org, and voters later renewed the tax in November 2024, extending it through June 30, 2031. The renewed tax now generates approximately $20 million annually for mental-health and substance-use services across the county, per r1planning.org. Rock River Current also reported that Stepping Stones received support from private donations and in-kind contributions.
Thursday's ribbon-cutting was celebrated with the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce and local dignitaries, according to Rock River Current, with attendees including Mayor Janessa Neal, Alderwoman Gina Meeks, Winnebago County Mental Health Board members, the Junior League of Rockford, state Rep. Maurice West and state Sen. Steve Stadelman. The celebration featured music from Clark Kelly and the Sound Stones — Stepping Stones' own band, which promotes wellness and recovery through music — along with live painting by Roni Golan and Jesse T. Leach, per the outlet's reporting.
Builders Call Project a Symbol of Healing
The Larson & Darby Group designed the new headquarters, while Schmeling Construction Co. led construction, according to Rock River Current, which also listed Schmeling Construction Company and the Larson & Darby Group among the project partners participating in the ribbon-cutting, as confirmed by rrstar.com. Steve Schmeling said the facility represents hope and healing and prioritizes mental health, Rock River Current reported.
Stepping Stones traces its roots to 1969, when it was founded as a single halfway house by a dedicated group of local mental health advocates, according to the organization's own history page. Residential services began in 1970 when the nonprofit opened its first halfway house for eight residents, and its service capacity had reached 20 individuals by 1980, per the same source. Rock River Current reported that Stepping Stones is now one of the largest providers of residential housing for adults with mental illness in northern Illinois, owning and operating 14 facilities and seven non-residential properties.
