Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentofCommerceandEconomicOpportunity
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rockford named state-designated cultural district by Gov. Pritzker
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have named Rockford as one of five State-Designated Cultural Districts, designed to preserve history and culturally significant traditions and structures. 'People in cities and towns across the state have vibrant cultural identities, and through the State-Designated Cultural Districts program, we're helping them preserve their history and traditions while promoting economic development,' said Pritzker. 'Cultural Districts reflect the diversity of our great state, and Illinois is proud to recognize their cultural significance while empowering them to expand their reach and share their culture with Illinoisans and visitors alike.' Rockford has been designated as the 'Heritage District.' 'I am proud that the City of Rockford is being recognized amongst this esteemed group of cultural district designations around the state,' said House Assistant Majority Leader Maurice West (D-Rockford). 'We are always eager to celebrate the cultural contributions of our most historic cities and towns throughout Illinois.' Northeast Chicago has been designated as 'Soul City'; Bloomington as 'City of Bloomington's Downtown Cultural District'; Northeast Chicago as 'Ukrainian Village'; and a 'Historic District of the City of Vienna' in downstate Vienna. The opportunity to become a State-Designated Cultural District was made available through a competitive Notice of Designation Opporunity, and to be eligible, applicants had to be historically impacted and at risk of losing their cultural identity due to gentrification displacement, or the COVID-19 pandemic, and have a history of economic disinvestment. Each district is eligible to apply for $3 million in funding that will be tailored to fit their individual needs to preserve their unique cultural identities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Illinois state parks draw highest number of visitors in more than a decade
Illinois state parks saw more visitors in 2024 than any point in the past 15 years, according to new data from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois' 290 state parks and 56 historic sites recorded more than 41 million visitors last year, which was the most in 15 years, following several significant capital projects to upgrade and improve many of the parks. Interest in state parks has been growing since the pandemic, IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said in an interview. 'During COVID, people were stir crazy, shut in, and they once again realized how important nature is to all of us,' Phelps Finnie said. An aggressive advertising campaign by the state has also helped, she said. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity launched the state's 'Middle of Everything' marketing campaign in 2022, which promotes tourism at the state's top recreation and cultural attractions in TV commercials, billboards and online advertising. Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County topped the list in 2024 with 2.4 million visitors coming to explore the canyons and waterfalls nestled in gorges along the Illinois River in north-central Illinois. The second-most visited park last year was Illinois Beach State Park, near Zion, with 2 million visitors. IDNR completed a major $73 million project last year to preserve the park from erosion. 'It's always been a high number of visitors, but certainly the uptick we've seen since the beach was restored and since the resort is being invested in once again and remodeled,' Phelps Finnie said. ROCKS Beach State Park holds Illinois' only undeveloped stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, but it's subject to the ferocious waves of the lake. The conditions have sometimes eroded up to 100 feet of shoreline a year in parts of the park. To preserve the park's shoreline, IDNR's project included building 22 breakwater structures in the lake to decrease the power of the waves hitting the shore. Several of the structures are entirely submerged while others that poke out the surface of the lake are designed to provide nesting for migratory birds. The project also included extending the public beach further into Lake Michigan. Erosion had diminished the beach to come within feet of the parking lot and hotel at the park. The state also announced earlier this year it will put $60 million toward deferred maintenance projects. More than half of that will go to Starved Rock for trail improvements, facility renovations and building a new wastewater system. The department is also working on adding electric vehicle chargers at state parks and renovating the Old State Capitol in Springfield. This summer, IDNR plans to restore and upgrade the Crenshaw House in Gallatin County to include a visitor center at a location on the reverse underground railroad, where slaves were held. According to IDNR, John Crenshaw used slaves at his southern Illinois home where he manufactured salt. Crenshaw is also believed to have kidnapped freed or escaped slaves to sell them back to slavery in the South. 'We're excited that the investment is being made and these parks are getting the attention they deserve,' Phelps Finnie said. Lincoln's New Salem Historic Site in Peterburg, where the 16th president lived in his 20s, was the state's most visited historic site last year with 360,000 visitors. The site is in line for funding to repair aging buildings. IDNR announced in March it will invest $8 million to repair up to 23 replica log buildings at the site that depict how the village looked when Lincoln lived there in the 1830s. 'You have things fall into disrepair and then it dominoes,' Phelps Finnie said. 'It builds. So what was once maybe $100 million or so is now a little over $1 billion worth of deferred maintenance' across IDNR's properties.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pontiac misses out on $2M state grant to revamp downtown but says the project will go on
The city's plans to give Madison Street in downtown Pontiac a makeover with road resurfacing and new sidewalks got some bad news recently that will affect how fast the project gets done. The city applied for a $2 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity but will not receive it this year. The funds were part of a $30 million award from the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets and Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) programs. Pontiac wanted to use the money to upgrade downtown sidewalks and streets in an area west of North Chicago Street to North Oak Street. 'The basic plan was covering four blocks, altogether,' Mayor Bill Alvey said. 'The northside would be the primary focus.' More: Illinois 116 is being redone in Pontiac. Here's what you need to know According to City Administrator Jim Woolford, the money the city was requesting was going to be spent on street resurfacing and addressing the width and slopes of the sidewalks along Madison Street. The city is still looking at the project, Woolford said, but it will have to be done in parts over time, which poses a design challenge. 'We want it all to look the same,' he said. 'That's going to be the key that the design fits with the overall scope of the plan.' Although it had been two lanes in the past, Madison Street has been one lane for a few years. It has angled parking on both sides. 'If we widen the sidewalks, it would happen on the sidewalk and not into the street,' Woolford said. 'There might be some parallel parking on one side and angled parking on the other. But that final plan hasn't been determined.' The plan is not defeated, Alvey said. 'We will revamp our ideas and move forward,' he said. 'It's in a TIF district so there will be TIF funding at the moment and other grants that we are pursuing to enhance and improve the flow of traffic downtown. "It's still something we have in the planning stage. We'll keep working on it.' Erich Murphy is a reporter at the Pontiac Daily Leader. This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Plans moving forward despite city missing out on grant
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Effingham receives over $300K from RISE grant
EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — The Mayor of Effingham has announced that the city is one of just nine communities statewide receiving a Research in Illinois to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) grant. Governor JB Pritzker announced on Tuesday that the city was awarded $373,500 in RISE funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The funding will be used to buy 2.6 acres of property on Heritage Avenue. The goal of this purchase is collaborating with investors to turn the property into workforce housing. Newborn kittens abandoned in Effingham as 'kitten season' ramps up 'The result of this grant award will be another component in our overall strategy to stimulate the renovation of current housing stock and the building of new housing stock for the working families of Effingham and the surrounding area,' said Effingham Mayor Mike Schutzbach. The RISE grant development is one of a series of recent housing initiatives by Effingham. The city has also implemented a TIF Housing Redevelopment Program and a Housing Enterprise Zone Program. 'Several City of Effingham staff members significantly contributed to this grant award from DCEO, and they continue to work with the community to identify more opportunities for housingdevelopment,' Schutzbach said. Those interested in additional information on these programs should contact City Administrator Steve Miller at 217-342-5300 ext. 5314 or smiller@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Moline gets $2M grant for 15th Avenue revitalization
East Moline's revitalization just got a major financial boost. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) says the City of East Moline has been awarded a $2 million grant to support the reconstruction and streetscaping of 15th Avenue. The funding will help create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly 'Main Street' as part of the City's Greater Downtown Revitalization Project. This project will reconstruct 15th Avenue between 6th and 13th Streets, including new streetscaping, widened sidewalks and accessibility improvements, making the corridor more inviting for residents, visitors and businesses. A new 'festival street' between 7th and 9th Streets can accommodate outdoor events, food trucks and gatherings in a pedestrian-friendly layout. The grant was made available through DCEO's Rebuilding Downtowns and Main Streets capital grant program. It supplements existing federal funding for improvements to 15th Avenue, 7th Street, 12th Avenue, and at The Bend that will work together to create downtown that's better connected. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and then-Representative Cheri Bustos announced the original $23.7 million federal grant in 2022. 'The revitalization of 15th Avenue and all of downtown is a transformational project for East Moline,' said Mayor Reggie Freeman. 'This grant allows us to leverage the RAISE grant we received to make an even greater impact to support local businesses, attract new investment, and enhance quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Thank you to Governor Pritzker, Senator Halpin, and Representative Johnson for their support of this critical project.' The project will include green infrastructure to reduce surface runoff, improve pedestrian lighting for safety and install wayfinding signage to connect downtown attractions. A new gateway feature at 7th Street and 15th Avenue will welcome visitors to the heart of downtown. These improvements were originally identified in the City's downtown comprehensive plan and refined through public meetings in 2024. Construction on the first phase of the Greater Downtown Revitalization began last week at The Bend; construction on the 15th Avenue improvements will begin this summer and is expected to be completed in 2026. Click here for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
