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State provides more money for Davis Park, 4 other tourism projects
Construction of an open canopy stage at Davis Park and a festival built around Rockford's popular outdoor mural program are among projects about to receive more than $1.4 million state funds.
State Senator Stadelman this week announced $500,000 is destined for a new outdoor performance venue at Davis Park and $235,000 will launch the CRE8IV mural festival in conjunction with the annual outdoor art project of the same name. Another $500,000 is going toward a planned restoration of the Times Theater along with $150,000 for parking modifications at Anderson Japense Gardens and $15,000 for an outdoor kaleidoscope sculpture at Discovery Center Museum.
The awards from the Illinois Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program come on top of nearly $4 million in Rebuild Illinois funds that Stadelman secured to redevelop Davis Park -- including the installation of float boat docks expected to occur this year on the riverfront property-- and another $3 million toward restoring the long-vacant Times Theater, built in 1938.
"All of these projects are pieces of a puzzle that improve the quality of life in our community," Stadelman said, "and that help power further economic growth."
Rockford, Loves Park win $6.3 million in state funds for bike, walking paths
State Senator Steve Stadelman announced Friday that nearly $6.3 million in Rebuild Illinois funds are headed to Rockford and Loves Park for construction of sidewalks and multi-use paths to improve safety and enhance quality of life.
- $3 million to construct 1.7 miles of 10-foot-wide shared-use path in northeast Rockford along the south side of Highcrest Road between Spring Creek Road and Alpine road along with a mile of bike lanes on residential streets from Alpine north to existing on-street bike lanes that lead to Rock Valley College. The project connects the 10-mile Rock River Path path into downtown Rockford with the Perryville Road shared-use path that stretches north Rock Cut State Park and south to Charles Street bike path.
- $275,000 for preliminary engineering to design sections of a shared-use path to fill gaps in the existing path along the west shore of the Rock River through downtown Rockford from an existing Rails-to-Trails bridge at Race Street north to the Whitman Street bridge and meeting the southern end of the Rock River Path.
- $3 million in Loves Park to pour sidewalks along both sides of Illinois 251 (North Second Street) and remove existing 8-foot-wide parking lanes to improve traffic flow and provide green space and traffic separation.
Stadelman-backed bill to reduce 'food deserts' clears Senate
Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman to reverse the trend toward increasing numbers of food deserts in Illinois has won Senate approval.
“People having convenient access to nutritious food shouldn't depend on their zip code," Stadelman said. "Rockford has seen a number of smaller, neighborhood grocery stores close in recent years, usually resulting in lower-income shoppers needing to travel farther to make health food purchases."
Senate Bill 850 would establish an Illinois Grocery Initiative to offer grants and other forms of financial assistance to privately-owned grocery stores and grocery stores owned by units of local government, school districts or community college districts and located or to be locate in a demonstrated food deserts.
In 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a study that found that 807 census tracts are considered food deserts, meaning urban residents have to travel more than a half mile and rural residents must travel more than 10 miles to get to the nearest grocery store.
“Not only do neigbhorhood groceries improve quality of life, they help drive other economic development in at-risk areas," Stadelman said of the proposal that is now being considered in the Illinois House.
In case you missed me on Facebook ...
Steve Stadelman
April 13 at 2:28 PM
Congratulations to Chip Stoner and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford on winning a $75,000 grant from Comcast Foundation to equip and develop programming for its new Game Zone at the Fairgrounds Unit on Kilburn Avenue. Esports and gaming are a $180-billion industry, larger and the movie and music businesses combined. The club's new program aims to bridge the digital equity divide by teaching direct skills that could lead to college scholarships and jobs in game development and design or soft skills that could transfer to careers in data sciences or other STEM fields.
Steve Stadelman
April 12 at 9:20 PM
Congratulations to Kerry Leigh, who received the 2023 George and Barbara Fell award for her leadership of the Natural Land Institute at its annual dinner tonight. Kerry, who's retiring after 10 years as executive director in June, was credited for expanding the nonprofit's conservation holdings and revenue sources. Guest speaker Steve Apfelbaum discussed how he returned his Wisconsin farm to its original prairie state.
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