Construction to Begin This Year on First Phase of Riverfront Park Restoration

The first phase of the will begin this year with the installation of a pedestrian bridge over the DuPage River and a walking path along the river's west bank, Plainfield Village Trustee Paul Fay said.

Assuming the state releases grant money for the work in the next month or two -- $1 million for the bridge and $500,000 for the walking path -- the work will be done this spring and summer, said Fay, chairman of the riverfront steering committee.

"Our understanding with the state is that they've put the money in the queue" for release, Fay said.

The , one of two that are planned, will be 10 feet in width and will extend from the south side of the existing Lockport Street bridge. It will be wide enough to accommodate walkers and bikers and will feature decorative ornamental lighting. 

It's a key part of the project's first phase because it essentially links the two sides of the river and ties together the two sides of Lockport Street – the downtown portion to the east and the stretch west that includes Plainfield Village Hall and other new developments.

Riverfront Park is also important because it's the site of what had been one of Plainfield's most well-known attractions: Electric Park, a summer getaway spot that provided rental cabins, river swimming, dancing and other entertainment in the early 1900s.

The walkway -- one section in what will eventually be a much longer path -- will be a mixture of asphalt, concrete and brick pavers engraved with the names of donors to the Riverfront Foundation, the park's volunteer fundraising branch. (An order form to purchase brick pavers can be found at www.plainfieldparkdistrict.com/gen-foundation.asp.)

Along the walkway will be benches, many of which have been donated by individuals or by families in memory of a loved ones. Some preliminary electrical work may also be started, Fay said.

Before that work can happen, however, the steering committee -- made up of Plainfield village, park district and community representatives -- will need to hire someone to clear a large stand of weed trees and trash that's been dumped along the river over the years, Fay said.

Money for that work will come from the $100,000 the foundation has raised so far, he said. Foundation money will also be used to start renovating the village's old water plant building into public rest rooms, a meeting room and possibly a future concession stand, Fay said.

Volunteers have been doing a lot of the work themselves, but professionals will be needed for the more complicated parts of the job, such as plumbing, he said.

The only snag may be the second annual Midwest Brewers Festival, which is to be held in the park in mid-August. The event is a riverfront fundraiser.

"There's a very good possibility that things will be in the process of being built (when that happens)," Fay said.

Trying coordinate the fest around the construction may be difficult, but Fay said the steering committee will work with festival organizers to ensure the craft beer event doesn't impinge on the project.

Next year, the group is hopeful it will be able to start on the canopied patio area that is to be located on what had been Electric Park's old dance pavilion.