Itasca's Riverwalk plan moves along

Itasca's Riverwalk is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Now that DuPage County has approved the village's request for a stormwater permit, Itasca leaders say they hope construction will begin this fall on the planned recreational path along Spring Creek.

"We have been trying very hard to come up with a concept to create more of a sense of community ­- and a walkable community," Mayor Gigi Gruber said Friday.

The $1.8 million project includes a concrete path surrounded by lighting, decorative features and signage.

The roughly half-mile path would start at the intersection of Irving Park Road and Walnut Avenue, meander south and west alongside Spring Creek and continue behind the fire station, library and park district water park.

The 10-foot-wide path will be wheelchair and stroller accessible.

The village already has budgeted for the project, and the funding already is in place.

Officials had hoped construction would begin this summer, but work was stalled for several months because the county's permitting process took longer than expected.

The Riverwalk should take about two months to complete, and landscaping should be finished by spring.

Trustee Jeff Aiani said he's looking forward to the design in the heart of Itasca.

"I think it'll be a great improvement for the village and give people an outlet to go from downtown to the nature center, the park district pool and municipal campus," he said.

The project has been on the back burner for more than five years, but actually came to fruition with the completion of the new village hall.

Hitchcock Design Group, which designed Naperville's Riverwalk in the early 1980s, is working on the Itasca project. The Naperville-based firm is expected to present detailed plans, including designs and drawings, in the near future.

"I'm very excited," Aiani said. "I think it'll be a big plus for the entire community."