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| Riverwalk expansion hinges on land swap | |
| Aug 18, 2007 | |
| Georgia Evdoxiadis Garvey, Staff Writer | |
| Daily Herald | |
| Pertains to Fox River Trail, McHenry | |
| The city of McHenry may not be Naperville or San Antonio. But like cities famous for their riverfronts, McHenry holds grand plans for its Riverwalk along the Fox River. The next step in the $13 million project hinges, though, on a land swap deal between two parties, and the city isn't one of them. "They've been trying to work this deal out for a long time," says Assistant City Administrator Bill Hobson of the proposal to trade 8,400 square feet of riverfront land to McHenry Elementary School District 15 for a private owner taking an equal amount of land on another side of Landmark School. Property owner Ned Neumann, who brought the plan to the district years ago, said he sees the deal as a "win-win" for everyone involved. "All of this is one way to replace blight with beauty," Neumann said. In the swap, he'll get land next to his other property at Waukegan Road and Green Street, which he plans to use for a mixed-use development. If the land swap goes through, the city will upgrade the riverfront at its own expense. "It's always been understood that it costs the school district nothing," Neumann said, noting that both the city and the school district have agreed, in theory, to the idea. District officials, who were unavailable for comment Friday, have said they want some issues resolved. Board member Patrick Miller questioned the security of the riverfront area next to Landmark School. "I understand this is preliminary," he said. At the time, Hobson told Miller there would be a wall facing Landmark to keep passers-by off school property. Tim Sabatka, another board member, reminded the board the deal wasn't final and the district could make requests to change the plan. "We've got to let the city know what we want," he said. Hobson said feedback from the district has been good so far. "They seemed to be very positive about the Riverwalk and the direction that we are going," he said. The city has discussed building a small amphitheater and will change steel seawalls to a more natural-looking boulder edge. Other groups have expressed support. "Anything that can move the Riverwalk into its second phase is a good thing, is a good thing for the community," said Kay Rial Bates, the president of the McHenry Chamber of Commerce. "I think it's an eagerly awaited step." |
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