ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -- The city of Rockford voted Monday night to approve $20 million worth of new investments to the city's downtown.

City leaders say Rockford’s downtown has seen a huge revival recently. Urban Equity Properties recently announced plans to transform three west side buildings within the next few years. The projects include turning the Talcott building into a mixed use building. Turning a building on Jefferson Street into an apartment and retail space, and building a 4-story building in the place of the old Hanley building, that was destroyed in a fire.

“It allows us to recoup costs that the city outlaid to demolish the building. It will have a first floor restaurant on it and the second, third and fourth floor will be residential and its new construction. And again it's new construction on the west side, which is really exciting,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.

Mayor McNamara says these projects will be the first mixed-use downtown developments in around 15 years. He hopes the new construction will continue to attract more people and businesses to the downtown area.