By Sean F. Driscoll
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Jun 16, 2008 @ 11:58 PM
A lease agreement for 265 feet of riverfront property made its way through a City Council committee on Monday, clearing the way for the first construction on the riverwalk to begin.
The 20-year agreement for 9,805 square feet of sidewalk on the river side of the National City Bank building, 120 W. State St., now includes a provision that makes the deal contingent on the final cost and design of the project. Neither is known at this time.
Ald. Jeff Holt, D-11, was ready to move forward after the amendment was added.
“City Council can now decide if the project makes sense and we can afford to move the project forward,” he said.
Capital Program Manager Patrick Zuroske said he won’t have cost estimates until the city and the building’s owner, John Taphorn, sign off on the design. The state will get a say, because the path system on its land to the south will be tied into the work at National City.
The lease calls for construction to start by Aug. 1, and to be done by July 1, 2009.
As envisioned by Mayor Larry Morrissey, the riverwalk will extend between Chestnut and Whitman streets on both sides of the Rock River.
The deal now moves on to the full City Council for a vote.
Aldermen also approved the purchase of the second new ambulance for the Fire Department, but not without debate.
Ald. Pat Curran, R-2, urged aldermen to vote “no” because bid specifications may be flawed. Requests were sent to nearly two dozen firms, but only one bid was returned.
“There’s something about this thing that bothers me that, I believe, to do it immediately would be an error on our part and would not be prudent,” he said.
Ald. Linda McNeely, D-13, voted with Curran and against the ambulance, but the matter passed 11-2.
Later, Morrissey said he shared Curran’s concern and would look into it.
Staff writer Sean F. Driscoll can be reached at 815-987-1410 or sdriscoll@rrstar.com.
Mayor apologizes for Madigan comments
Mayor Larry Morrissey apologized for the phrasing — but not the message — of some sharp barbs he launched at House Speaker Michael Madigan during a news conference last week.
Morrissey had some harsh language for Madigan, who quashed a recent plan for a new statewide capital construction plan — backed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the state’s other three legislative leaders — that could have meant more than $100 million for local infrastructure projects.