The transformation of Centennial Park, the historic centerpiece of Riverside, into a town center linking the village’s downtown area and the main train station, should be completed in 2008, according to a timetable released by village officials at the Nov. 20 meeting of the Board of Trustees.
At the meeting, trustees set into motion the first phase of the project by passing a pair of resolutions related to its financing. The first was a cost-sharing resolution between the village and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), recognizing that 80 percent of the roughly $420,000 project will be paid for through an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant.
In June, Riverside officially received word that it had received a $336,000 grant to put toward the improvement of the area in and around Centennial Park, which is home to the village’s original water works facility, which includes the brick water tower and pump house and two well houses.
“One of the objectives is to make it work as a gateway to the village from the train station,” said Public Works Director Michael Hullihan.
The old water works was taken offline in 2004, setting in motion an effort to turn it into a focal point for a revitalized downtown Riverside. The pump house and ground floor of the water tower are currently being renovated to create a new, more spacious home for the Riverside Recreation Department. The east well house has served as the Riverside Historical Museum for many years. Next spring, the west well house will become a new exhibit gallery for the museum thanks to a separate state grant.
Hullihan said last week that construction bids for the new exhibit space will be opened in December and that the contract should be awarded in January 2007.
“Construction will begin in the spring,” said Hullihan.
In addition to improvements to the buildings in Centennial Park, some effort has already been made to spruce up the landscaping there, including removal of some unwanted plant species and replanting the area surrounding the historical museum.
But the ITEP grant paves the way for the major portion of the relandscaping/streetscaping of the area around the park, including West and Pine avenues (which form the park’s southern and western boundaries, respectively). However, since the work is considered a transportation improvement using federal funds, IDOT sets the pace for the work schedule, which means it will move more slowly-hence the 2008 completion date.
Phase I of the project, set to begin in earnest in January, includes preliminary engineering, an environmental assessment of the site and the completion of a conceptual design. In all, Phase I is expected to cost the village some $43,000. James J. Benes and Associates will serve as the engineering firm for the project, while DLK Civic Design will serve as the project architect. DLK Civic Design, based in Chicago, is owned by Riverside resident and architect Diane Legge Kemp.
Hullihan said that no formal plan has yet been advanced for the new layout of the park, but some general concepts have been envisioned. Hullihan said that the sidewalks within the park would likely change, the paved roadway that cuts through the southwest corner of the park will be removed and the park would be relandscaped. Lighting, especially for the water tower, is also expected to be an important part of the design.
East Avenue and Pine Avenue next to the park are also likely to be redesigned in order to increase the sense that the park is a town center. Hullihan said that could mean that the two streets be resurfaced with brick pavers, for example. The engineering phase will also likely include a scenario whereby East Avenue would be widened to accommodate more parking. Any design concepts would have to pass through the village’s Landscape Advisory Commission and Preservation Commission.