Gorman & Company: Inspiring the Revitalization of Historic Downtown Sterling, Illinois Buildings

Once a thriving industrial and commercial hub, downtown Sterling, Illinois is at a crossroads. Its sprawling, historic Lawrence and National industrial buildings now represent both the city’s heritage and an exciting opportunity for renewal. By adaptively reusing these spaces, Gorman & Company and the City of Sterling seek to reimagine downtown as a vibrant center for business, community and modern living through new strategic planning and investment.

Decades after the Lawrence and National businesses closed, the buildings’ potential was overshadowed by outdated infrastructure and an inability to meet modern market demands. Their decline reinforced an unfortunate misperception of regional economic stagnation.

Recognizing the significance of the buildings, Gorman & Company (the same skilled Madison, Wisconsin-based developer that successfully transformed downtown Rockford’s once-desolated Amerock building into a bustling Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center) and the City of Sterling committed to a strategy of preservation and progress. Their mixed-use vision focuses on restoring the buildings’ historic charm while introducing modern, flexible spaces for businesses and residential investment and use. 

Enter GrahamSpencer, invited to the table by Gorman & Company. To help realize Gorman’s vision, we crafted and implemented a micro-focused branding and marketing strategy. Components include a visually compelling website that showcases the project’s cultural and investment potential; a beautifully executed brochure highlighting its cultural and economic significance and a direct digital email campaign targeted to specific categories of investors.

The Riverfront Reimagined campaign is a welcoming, inspiring message for engaged investors delivered at a time when many are seeking new markets. Like Rockford’s old Amerock building, now an Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center, Sterling, Illinois’ Lawrence and National Buildings illustrate how thoughtful investment can turn neglected landmarks into powerful drivers of economic and cultural revival. By preserving its heritage and embracing progress, Gorman & Company will help the City of Sterling build a stronger, more vibrant downtown that will, in turn, benefit the whole region.

We believe Sterling’s riverfront, with its incredible building stock and river views, can lead the City in its Rural Renaissance. We’re grateful that GrahamSpencer helped us communicate that vision – and our passion for this project. When undeveloped historic buildings feature broken windows and graffiti, we need partners who can understand and envision potential alongside us and help us communicate what can be, not just what is. GrahamSpencer did exactly that.

Ronald Clewer, National Market President – Community Revitalization & Public Housing Partnerships

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