The master plan for Macomb’s Chandler Park recommends removing the gazebo from the downtown park and replacing it with a performance shelter.
City council members say that’s not going over well with some residents, who’ve written to complain about that proposal. The residents consider the gazebo an iconic feature that should be restored and saved.
City Administrator Scott Coker told council members the structure is not in good shape, it’s not a good performance space, and it’s not ADA accessible.
But he said city officials will keep the gazebo in mind when developing the design for the performance shelter.
“One possibility is that we’ll discuss if that takes on features that look like a gazebo or something like that. That’s one possibility,” he said
“But the current gazebo needs to be rebuilt or refashioned into something that’s more usable.”
Peoria-based Farnsworth Group developed the master plan for the park with local input.
The firm also created an animated Chandler Park Fly Through video to give people an idea of what the renovated park might look like.
Coker considers the master plan a well thought out report.
“I’m excited that we can have a chance to re-invent the park and make it great for everyone,” he said.
“There is a lot of change proposed in this, but the current park is very tired.”
Coker said now that the plan is complete, the city will apply for grants to pay for the work. He would like grants to cover around 80% of the estimated $3.2 million cost of the full renovation project.
It will take some time to secure grants, and construction won’t begin until the city knows how much grant funding is coming in.
Coker said ideally, construction would get done in a single year.
“Close the park for a year and get the construction complete, which is the most effective and cheapest way to do construction,” he said.
The main grants the city is looking at are the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant through the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
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