Clean up could delay Elgin veterans memorial

The Elgin City Council on Wednesday again will discuss environmental cleanup work at the old public works facility along the Fox River.

But if all goes well, plans to spend another $90,000 on the site may no longer delay construction of a proposed veterans memorial north of Gail Borden Public Library.

Members of the Veterans Memorial Committee, and city and library officials, have informally discussed a plan to move the veterans memorial closer to the library, and off the contaminated site.

"It would kind of fit with everybody," council member Dave Kaptain said. "If they don't want to go there, it's up to them. I don't want to push them. But it becomes another option."

City officials said earlier this month that construction of the memorial could be pushed back 18 months or more because of additional cleanup needed on the site.

That didn't sit well with members of the memorial committee, who said they couldn't afford to wait.

"We can't stand around arguing," World War II veteran Art Richoz said. "We've got to get this thing done."

Richoz said he doesn't want to speak for the other committee members, but in his opinion, moving the memorial closer to the library might be the best option.

"This land is cleaned up and ready to go," he said. "This memorial does mean an awful lot to me. I hope that it does work, and we do get it under way soon."

Of course, moving the memorial would take quite a bit of planning.

For instance, the site closer to the library isn't as big as the first location, meaning the committee would have to tweak the memorial's design.

The city also doesn't own the land, meaning they might swap property with the library, or sign some sort of long-term lease, Kaptain said.

"That has to be worked out," he said.

What also has to be worked out is how the veterans memorial would fit with plans for an education resource center on the site.

City officials -- and the Fox River Renaissance Alliance Project -- already have tentative plans for "teaching gardens," a floating wetlands and an illuminated fountain on the property.

Kaptain said the veterans memorial could fit in nicely with that project -- with the library becoming something of a hub for the whole area.

"If this goes forward, I would hope the city would say let's do the whole thing at once," he said.

Clen