We respectfully request Rock Valley College (RVC) put the brakes on a plan to spend millions building an Advanced Technology (ATC) Center at the Chicago Rockford International Airport and first engage in a public dialogue on its rush to abandon the adaptive reuse of the iconic downtown News Tower in favor of a remote greenfield site.

Seven elected RVC trustees could move soon to commit millions in taxpayer dollars to the airport, though no plan has been officially released and no community input sought. Until a newspaper headline revealed March 13 that trustees had shifted gears, all outward indications were that RVC was in negotiations to locate the ATC at the News Tower, where taxpayer money already has been invested to establish a modest satellite campus.

Downtown is the smarter choice for reasons that include easy access with the city's main bus terminal a mere four blocks away, proximity to neighborhoods full of traditionally under-served students and an adjacency to a resurgent city center, creating an student experience that cannot be replicated at the airport.

The prosperity of every community is linked inextricably to the vitality of its urban core, the heart of its being and what distinguishes one place from another. Rockford’s downtown has made tremendous strides over the last two decades by focusing on the “live, work, learn and play” formula for economic success. To reach the tipping point, however, more higher education assets are required downtown.

As Rockford goes, so goes the whole region. Putting the ATC at the News Tower makes all the sense in the world.

Join us in asking RVC trustees to engage in a public process and dialogue, in the spirit of transparency and open government, and to slow down the decision to move to the airport so public engagement can occur.