1st Street Plaza Revamp To Be Mostly Complete By End Of Year: Official

ST. CHARLES, IL — Work on the First Street Plaza expansion in St. Charles, which began in May, is expected to be mostly complete by the end of this year.

Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Adesso told the city council's Government Services Committee this past week that underground work on the plaza and Main and 1st streets was finished in August and work is now underway on base concrete layers, according to the Kane County Chronicle.

Top surfaces, landscaping and vertical elements will be installed in the next month, Adesso told the committee.

“There are certainly going to be some components that aren’t there,” Adesso said, “But we’re hoping to have the majority up and open for holiday celebrations.”

The project includes the permanent closure of 1st Street to vehicles from Walnut Street to Main Street to accommodate a public plaza, including the existing west and east plazas, according to the city of St. Charles website. The project will feature a meandering walkway to allow for unobstructed pedestrian passage through the site, which can be used for open/seasonal markets, public seating/dining, holiday displays and events.

The project also features a large egg-shaped gathering plaza surrounded by a solar panel covered trellis. A nice balance of landscaping, shading, public seating, wayfinding signs and site lighting will enhance the ADA accessible and flexible plaza.

More via the Kane County Chronicle and the city's website