Rock River Current
ROCKFORD — A plan to transform the former Kmart on East State Street into a global grocery market and food hall has been put on hold due to issues financing the project, according to one of the developers and the alderman of the ward.
Plans to purchase and redevelop the nearly 106,000-square-foot retail store at 5909 E. State St. were announced in late April by Alderman Mark Bonne and Guanming Shi and James Jiang. Shi and Jiang want to create a Rockford version of their existing Global Market & Food Hall in Madison, Wisconsin. The business partners planned to close on the nearly $6.5 million purchase from U-Haul in September, contingent on financing and inspections…