Kankakee announces $5 million Rebuild Illinois grant for riverfront ped‑bike path

City officials announced that Kankakee was awarded a $5,000,000 grant through the Rebuild Illinois program to build the pedestrian and bicycle path portion of the riverfront master plan.

According to remarks on the record, the grant is a zero‑match award intended to fund a path that would run from the bridge over the river at Riverside to Kennedy, continue along the river under Court Street and extend toward Station Street. Staff said that the East Riverwalk is under construction and that with this award the combined riverfront projects exceed $10 million in project value that will not require city borrowing for construction.

Officials said phase‑one engineering is nearly complete and phase‑two engineering work will begin soon, with the hope of a construction letting in 2026. The city also discussed partnering with the local park district for some riverfront parcels and pursuing additional grants to fund future construction phases.

The announcement was made during general council remarks; the meeting record credited city staff and the mayor’s office for grant applications and thanked partners who will be engaged in design and construction. No formal council vote was required for the grant announcement; future contracts and construction authorizations will come back to council as projects proceed.

Ending Staff said they will proceed with engineering and public engagement steps and will return to council with design deliverables and funding plans as the project advances.