Shovels ready to start 1st Street Plaza rehab. St. Charles now must raise rest of $4.5 million.

With shovels ready to hit the ground in September for the $4.5 million 1st Street Plaza renovation project, St. Charles officials are working to raise the remaining money necessary to bring the ambitious plan to fruition.

Bolstered by $1.4 million from the city, a $600,000 donation from Exelon and a $94,000 Kane County Riverboat grant, the project thus far has received $2.3 million that's been used to purchase land and will help fund the initial phase this fall.

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek, 1st Street Initiative Chairman John Hoscheit and Serena Sturm Architects Principal Marty Serena provided an update Thursday at a gathering of local leaders at Sterling Bank, just south of the plaza. With several aldermen, retired Mayor Ray Rogina and others there, Vitek urged community involvement for continued financial support of the project.

"This project has meaning for me professionally and personally," Vitek said. "My children and I have made a contribution to this project and we'll continue to annually.

"This is one of the projects that drives me to do what I do day-to-day for the city," she said. "What's happening with all you individuals here today, it just further drives my passion to keep moving projects like this forward."

This year, the St. Charles city council approved Serena Sturm's plans for the project that include a curved, decorative, brick-laden path down a portion of 1st Street, south of Main Street, that's closed to vehicular traffic.

The large "hole" adjacent to the river - created by demolition of former Manor Restaurant - will be filled and replaced with a community gathering area with stone benches, shade and ornamental trees, and a U-shaped arbor around the perimeter.

The plans were finalized after a community survey with more than 1,000 responses showed support for the project.

In addition to filling the hole and reinforcing a retaining wall along the river, Hoscheit said, much of the first phase will involve infrastructure improvements. He said the second phase is slated to begin next spring, work that will require the additional funding they seek.

"This town has really been formed, and it's a great place to live, because we have great people here," Hoscheit said. "We have a lot of buildings with the Baker and the Norris family, and they really started that process for us and gave us something to live up to.

"This group is going to move forward and carry that mission on," he said.