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Rockford Mayor Makes Fourth Trip to China

Mayor Larry Morrissey
WNIJ Photo
Mayor Larry Morrissey

  Rockford’s Mayor is headed to China once again to solicit construction money from investors. 

He’s partnered with Wisconsin developer Gary Gorman to redevelop the Amerock building, a former factory in downtown Rockford, into an Embassy Suites hotel.  

This is the fourth time the pair is headed to China, where they hope to convince wealthy residents to contribute funds in exchange for a visa to live in the United States.  This is possible through EB-5, a US Citizenship and Immigration Services program where wealthy foreign nationals can eventually receive green cards if their investments create 10 jobs from projects in economically depressed areas.  

Gorman has already raised $11 million, and he hopes to raise even more through investor meetings scheduled in Shanghai and Shenzhen.   The pair will return to the United States Tuesday.