06/11/2026
Congratulations to the City of Rockford on receiving the APWA Project of the Year Award for the Garden Club Park improvement project.
This award recognizes the vision, collaboration, and investment that transformed the space into a welcoming community destination featuring beautiful landscaping, gathering areas, enhanced accessibility, and thoughtful amenities for residents and visitors alike.
It's always great to see projects that enhance quality of life and strengthen our community recognized at this level. Well deserved to everyone involved in making Garden Club Park such a special place in downtown Rockford.
The City of Rockford is proud to announce that the Garden Club Park improvement project has received the American Public Works Association (APWA) Project of the Year Award in the Quality of Life category for projects under $1 million.
What began as a community vision for a vibrant gathering space has become a destination that enhances downtown Rockford. The project created a welcoming public space featuring green space, barrier-free access, enhanced seating, ambient lighting, a fireplace gathering area, and a beautiful Gold and Blue Star Garden.
This recognition reflects the dedication and collaboration of many partners, including Prein&Newhof, Katerberg VerHage, the Rockford Garden Club, the Rockford Lions Club, Extremis, The Right Place, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which provided a $335,000 placemaking grant to help bring the project to life.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this award-winning project possible and to our community members whose vision and feedback helped shape this special place for generations to come.