McHenry Times

The McHenry city council recently discussed some big investments in Miller Point Park.

During a Dec. 5 city council meeting, the council voted on accepting some bids for improvements to the Riverwalk and Miller Point Park in Illinois. This area was purchased by the city in 2013 because they saw a lot of potential in it. The city plans to continue development to turn the area into the McHenry Riverwalk Shopping district. The city plans to have the area host several notable events throughout the year.

The bids for development included a lot of changes and updates to the area. There was the installation of a washroom, a new pavilion put in, a splash pad, and various other smaller site amenities. There was an offered donation of $300,000 for the pavilion if it was finalized before the end of the year, so Recreation Director Hobson highly recommended pursuing that option.

"The Riverwalk Foundation is excited to have this before you, we're excited about this plan and how it turned out from the original start that was a little bit piecemeal to a site that I think we're all very proud of and the continuity," McHenry Director Bill Hobson said at the meeting. "You see the possibilities of how this could be for our future. 

Some council members expressed concerns about the splash pad, preferring a turf area or a playground instead, however, the majority were in favor of the project. The council also discussed funding for the project, with some of it already in the current budget but not enough in their TIF funds to pay it all out. They could receive TIF funds in the coming years and reimburse themselves.

The council voted to move forward with the plans.