Macomb’s War of 1812 memorial in Chandler Park will soon be more accessible. The city council agreed to spend $4,000 to build a sidewalk from N. Randolph St. to the memorial.
City Administrator Dean Torreson said the proposal came up a few years ago but was turned down due to a lack of a long-term master plan for the park. Now the city has decided it's time to move ahead with the project.
“If the memorial is ever moved, it would be quite a ways down in the future and there’s not that much invested in a sidewalk if it is moved at some point in the future,” Torreson said.
Construction will be done in July. The city hopes to partner with local volunteer groups to help pave the sidewalk.
The memorial was dedicated in 1914. It honors Major General Alexander Macomb and Commodore Thomas MacDonough, the namesakes for Macomb and McDonough County, in addition to the other veterans of the War of 1812.
Mayor Mike Inman said the additional sidewalk will also provide more space for American Flags in Chandler Park. Slightly more than 800 flags are flown on special occasions by the Flags of Love Committee. They will be up on Sunday, June 14, for national Flag Day.
