The UW Health Sports Factory is a successful adaptive reuse project along the Rock River in downtown Rockford, Ill. Through joint efforts between the city, the park district, the convention and visitor’s bureau, the City of Loves Park and Winnebago County, the project leveraged creative funding to convert a 1940s-era factory into one of the largest and most modern tournament facilities in the Midwest.
The building boasts eight basketball courts and 16 volleyball courts, as well as concessions areas, offices, meeting spaces and a full-service restaurant with a 180-degree view over the Rock River. The project also features site redevelopment, with outdoor gathering space, parking and an extension to the city’s River Walk.
The venue is projected to revitalize Rockford’s struggling downtown. Since opening in the summer of 2016, it has drawn more than 500,000 people per year for basketball, volleyball, wrestling and pickleball tournaments, as well as trade shows, meetings and other local events.
Aqua Sports & Spa
