The City of Jacksonville’s officials announced on Friday that the 5th and final stage of the Downtown Turnaround Project starts on August 12th.
Mayor Andy Ezard says several members of the community are excited for the project to get started: “We’re really excited about this last phase. It’s been a long time coming. This project was somewhat set aside as the last project for reasons because of the associated challenges that go along with it. There is a realization that we need to end strong. We are still going to do more work after this phase of the Downtown, but it’s basically going to be the streets that are the arteries to the heart of the Downtown area, which is our beautiful square. Over the years, the community has been very patient. There are things that are unknowns that happened, obviously. We’ve experienced that time and time again on some projects, but with this one – we want to finish strong, and we look forward to everyone embracing it for [the city’s] 200th birthday next year in 2025.”
The project will be the final phase to reverse the urban renewal changes made to Downtown Jacksonville starting in the mid-70s. Since 1999, the City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Main Street have been working with community leaders, private investors, and business owners to restore and revitalize the central business district.
Ezard says that the start and projected completion of the West State Street phase couldn’t be coming at a more perfect time: “The project comes in a timely manner because it will help celebrate the 25 years of the organization of Jacksonville Main Street. The [bicentennial and anniversary] all ties together. We didn’t plan that, obviously, years and years ago; but I think someone is telling us that we did the right thing – those leaders back in the mid-90s and early 90s did the right thing in moving forward even though it wasn’t a real popular decision at the time. It certainly has reversed urban renewal and it’s going to lead Jacksonville into the future.”
Ezard says the timely nature of the start of the project speaks to all of the work that has been put into revitalizing Downtown Jacksonville for more than two decades.
He says that the West State phase was saved for last due to some unknown challenges that lie ahead. Ezard says engineers won’t know what they are up against until the project gets started: “It’s more challenging in the aspect that there is a lot of unknowns underneath the surface of the road. It’s a bit longer stretch in my eyes. We are going to do some other areas right off the side of West State. I don’t know. You never know until you get into it, but I do know, for instance, that there are basements underneath the front doors of certain businesses that are going to be affected. If people are patient, I think with good communication things will all get resolved in the right manner.”
According to a press release from the city, downtown improvements have fostered $73 million in public/private reinvestment, over 70% of which is from the private sector. Vacancy rates dropped from 27% to less than 5%, residential development has nearly doubled, and over 200 entrepreneurial ventures are now within the Main Street District. In addition, downtown has become a National Register Historic District and Jacksonville has earned over 40 Lt. Governor Awards in Excellence in Downtown Revitalization, a Governor’s Hometown Award, 3 Richard Driehaus preservation awards, and a Great American Main Street Award.
The targeted completion date is August 31, 2025. This final phase will cost approximately $3.4 million with it largely being funded by an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
On Tuesday, August 6th at 9AM, Jacksonville Main Street is hosting an engineer’s meeting at the Jacksonville District 117 Board Room at 211 West State Street for all businesses that will be affected by the project. Attendees will receive the latest DIG It project construction guidebook along with pertinent information about the work progression, what to expect, and the opportunity to ask questions ahead of time.
Jeremy Coumbes provided initial reporting on this story.