This young lady, fresh off a stint living the "van life" has a vague concept of a plan to "build community" and will undoubtedly receive a giant chunk of taxpayer money from a city desperate for ANY kind of economic development - even the kind that will be done at public cost, will never turn a profit and will ultimately fail.
THIS kind of s.hit - not trans kids or DEI - is what real conservatives should be opposing.
A Rock Island native is looking for community support as she attempts to polish up a hidden gem.
Madelyn Putman is working to achieve her childhood dream of purchasing the 1940s-era building at 1401 Fourth Ave. in Rock Island and turning it into a community space. The building stands out for its unique shape and sits right in front of the new Rock Island County Courthouse.
It's been home to several car dealerships over the years, but since Putman has been paying attention, it has been closed to the public.
"I would see this building sometimes as a kid, and I have wanted to own, like a bakery, cafe, restaurant, something, since I was probably about 7 or 8," the now 32-year-old said.
In her adult life, she's moved around to various places in Illinois and Iowa before spending 2021-2024 traveling full-time in her van. A car crash in November of 2024 brought her back to her parents’ home in Rock Island, she said, and had her in search of new opportunities.
In February, Putman was house-sitting up the road when she decided to take advantage of the unusually nice day and take her dog for a walk. They ended up at the building, she said, and for the first time she pushed her face against the glass.
"And that was when I realized how huge it is, because I always had just seen the front facade. I had never driven behind it, but walking around I was like, oh this place has room for so much more than just a bakery," she said. "This could be this whole little community hub, and that was where the idea started."
Built in 1940, the building was originally the home of Galbraith Motor Company, and also included a gasoline service station, according to the city of Rock Island's website. The two-story building had an auto repair/paint shop area and room for a 65-car display area on the roof.
The building changed hands a few times before it was bought by Howard P. “Cub” Buck, who owned the business until the late 1960s, according to Rock Island's website. Buck played for the Green Bay Packers from 1921-1926 and started his own automobile dealership in 1928 in Rock Island after playing and coaching football for seven years. The building was last used as a car dealership in 1991 as Austin Buick.
It had been sitting since then, which only spurred on Putman to figure out who owned the building, and how she could come up with a plan to be the next owner. She started googling and contacting the county treasurer's office until she was able to find a name and a phone number for the owner; a woman in her 90s.
After not hearing back for a few weeks, Putman decided to write a letter and leave it in her mailbox. Then a week went by. And another. And another. And after a month, she decided if it was meant to be, it would happen.
Then, it did.
A phone call from the owner's son revealed she had passed, and he was meeting soon with a real estate agent to list the building. Putman was able to plead her case and has been working with him to secure funding for the building.
The building itself is in a "pretty extreme state of dilapidation," she said, and will need everything from foundation work to insulation, along with any cosmetic updates she wants to provide to make at least part of it a cafe. For the rest of the 18,000 square foot building, Putman said, she hasn't nailed down anything specific but has a laundry list of ideas for how it can be used to serve the community.
"My goal is that I really want to create and help foster an environment where people are coming here and meeting other people. I think that people are just so starved right now for a true sense of community, and real-life connection is so hard to find, and so I would love to use the skills and experience that I have to try and help foster that for people and make a welcoming environment that people can feel safe enough to make introductions and build relationships," she said.
To help fund the building, Putman is looking into historic tax credits, TIF credits and has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money toward the project. Putman said the renovations will probably take about two years and she is hoping to secure enough funding to get started in the next six months.
THIS kind of s.hit - not trans kids or DEI - is what real conservatives should be opposing.
Rock Island native hopes to turn former dealership building into community space
A Rock Island native is looking for community support as she attempts to polish up a hidden gem.
Madelyn Putman is working to achieve her childhood dream of purchasing the 1940s-era building at 1401 Fourth Ave. in Rock Island and turning it into a community space. The building stands out for its unique shape and sits right in front of the new Rock Island County Courthouse.
It's been home to several car dealerships over the years, but since Putman has been paying attention, it has been closed to the public.
"I would see this building sometimes as a kid, and I have wanted to own, like a bakery, cafe, restaurant, something, since I was probably about 7 or 8," the now 32-year-old said.
In her adult life, she's moved around to various places in Illinois and Iowa before spending 2021-2024 traveling full-time in her van. A car crash in November of 2024 brought her back to her parents’ home in Rock Island, she said, and had her in search of new opportunities.
In February, Putman was house-sitting up the road when she decided to take advantage of the unusually nice day and take her dog for a walk. They ended up at the building, she said, and for the first time she pushed her face against the glass.
"And that was when I realized how huge it is, because I always had just seen the front facade. I had never driven behind it, but walking around I was like, oh this place has room for so much more than just a bakery," she said. "This could be this whole little community hub, and that was where the idea started."
Built in 1940, the building was originally the home of Galbraith Motor Company, and also included a gasoline service station, according to the city of Rock Island's website. The two-story building had an auto repair/paint shop area and room for a 65-car display area on the roof.
The building changed hands a few times before it was bought by Howard P. “Cub” Buck, who owned the business until the late 1960s, according to Rock Island's website. Buck played for the Green Bay Packers from 1921-1926 and started his own automobile dealership in 1928 in Rock Island after playing and coaching football for seven years. The building was last used as a car dealership in 1991 as Austin Buick.
It had been sitting since then, which only spurred on Putman to figure out who owned the building, and how she could come up with a plan to be the next owner. She started googling and contacting the county treasurer's office until she was able to find a name and a phone number for the owner; a woman in her 90s.
After not hearing back for a few weeks, Putman decided to write a letter and leave it in her mailbox. Then a week went by. And another. And another. And after a month, she decided if it was meant to be, it would happen.
Then, it did.
A phone call from the owner's son revealed she had passed, and he was meeting soon with a real estate agent to list the building. Putman was able to plead her case and has been working with him to secure funding for the building.
The building itself is in a "pretty extreme state of dilapidation," she said, and will need everything from foundation work to insulation, along with any cosmetic updates she wants to provide to make at least part of it a cafe. For the rest of the 18,000 square foot building, Putman said, she hasn't nailed down anything specific but has a laundry list of ideas for how it can be used to serve the community.
"My goal is that I really want to create and help foster an environment where people are coming here and meeting other people. I think that people are just so starved right now for a true sense of community, and real-life connection is so hard to find, and so I would love to use the skills and experience that I have to try and help foster that for people and make a welcoming environment that people can feel safe enough to make introductions and build relationships," she said.
To help fund the building, Putman is looking into historic tax credits, TIF credits and has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money toward the project. Putman said the renovations will probably take about two years and she is hoping to secure enough funding to get started in the next six months.
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