ROCKFORD — City Council members on Monday approved a pair of items that clear the way for developers to tear down the vacant Morris Kennedy School to build a new Culver’s restaurant.
Aldermen voted 14-0 to approve a zoning map amendment and 13-1 to OK a sign variance for the future Culver’s at 3218 11th St. on the city’s south side. The building, which was also Ken-Rock Community Center and most recently Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy, has been vacant for roughly eight years.
Jimmy and Nichole Smith, who run Culver’s in the village of Winnebago, purchased the building in June for their second franchise location. They expect to begin demolition work this fall with a goal to open the dual-lane drive-thru restaurant in spring 2027. It’s expected to employ about 70 people…