Macomb will move ahead with its plan to apply for a state grant to help pay for the Chandler Park renovations.
“That park really is kind of our centerpiece. When you drive into this town, that’s what you see,” said city council member Byron Oden Shabazz during a public hearing on the grant application.
The city council voted 4-to-0 to submit an application for the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Oden Shabazz was joined by Dave Dorsett, Don Wynn, and Jennifer Hemingway in supporting the move. Justin Schuch, John Vigezzi, and Ashley Katz were absent from the meeting.
The city could receive a grant of up to $600,000 with a local match of $991,000 required to pay for all the OSLAD grant-eligible items. Those items include construction of:
- A performance shelter and stage
- Restrooms to the rear of the stage
- A water feature at the center of the park
- A new playground, benches, and accessible sidewalks with brick edging
Other parts of the project not eligible for OSLAD grant funding include moving all the monuments to the west side of the park.
Overall, the renovation project is estimated to cost between $3.15 million and $3.29 million.
City council member Dave Dorsett said they have time to build the project into the city’s budget.
He feels it’s important to provide amenities such as parks.
“When I first came to office, there was talk about ‘run it like a business.’ And I have since found you cannot run government like a business. Because if you do, the first thing you’re going to do is start getting rid of things that don’t generate revenue. And then you don’t have amenities,” Dorsett said.
City Administrator Scott Coker said replacing the park’s sidewalks is a key part of the project.
“The sidewalks are not ADA accessible. There are concerns with those. So, we need progress here. This park is very tired and it needs to be refreshed. That’s why we’re undertaking this project,” Coker said.
Amy Wilson of Farnsworth Group, which created the master plan for the park renovations, said the gazebo will be moved to a different location in the city.
She also said they will preserve much of the park’s current treescape.
“We have experience in renovating other mature parks with these types of trees,” Wilson said.
She said, for example, Farnsworth Group oversaw the renovation of a park with many mature trees in Monticello in eastern Illinois.
“I’m happy to say that every single tree that we intended to save is still living and thriving now, and their park is gorgeous,” Wilson said.
The plan is to put the Chandler Park project out to bid in 2027, and begin construction in 2028.
Mayor Mike Inman acknowledged there are concerns about how long the renovations might take. But he thinks the investment in the park will be worth it.
“Construction usually means progression in a positive way. Construction means that the community is on the move in a positive direction,” Inman said.
He said the city’s goal is for construction to take no more than one year.
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