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Kankakee officials, partners mark riverfront groundbreaking as start of multi‑decade plan
Summary
City leaders, park officials and community partners gathered Jan. 22 at the Bradley House to mark the groundbreaking of the first phase of the Kankakee riverfront redevelopment, which organizers say is funded largely by grants and philanthropy and will require additional phases and environmental approvals over the next decades.
KANKAKEE — Mayor Chris Curtis and local, county and state officials on Jan. 22 celebrated the groundbreaking of the first phase of a long‑planned Kankakee riverfront redevelopment at the Bradley House, calling the start of construction a milestone in a multi‑phase effort to open riverfront land and connect walking trails.
“This is going to be completed. And when it’s all said and done, the community is going to be able to use this,” Mayor Chris Curtis said, describing the project as the first step in what he and others expect will be a 25‑ to 30‑year effort to develop the riverfront.
Organizers said the project is mostly funded by grant and philanthropic contributions raised for the initial phase. “We have nearly $2,000,000 in grant money for this. Nearly a half a $1,000,000 in philanthropy money from the public sector,” Curtis said at the event.
Why it matters: City and park district officials said the redevelopment aims to improve public access to the river, spur adjacent…
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