St. Charles unveils nearly completed First Street Plaza

Nearly 100 people crowded into the lobby of Sterling Bank in St. Charles last Wednesday for the unveiling ceremony and ribbon cutting for the new First Street Plaza downtown.

The First Street redevelopment project has turned a section of First Street into a walkable plaza that connects the outdoor dining courtyard west of First Street to the Main Street Bridge to the north, the Riverwalk to the east, and allows access to First Street businesses and the parking garage to the south.

Mayor Lora Vitek began the ceremony by detailing the long and thoughtful process that went into the plaza’s inception, design and construction, and credited the many parties involved. She thanked the residents, city staff and council members, community foundations, developers, architects and donors in attendance for their contributions to the project.

The project has been in the works since 2020, and the first phase was completed in the spring of 2022. With the ribbon cut and the plaza open to foot traffic, the final touches of the project are expected to be installed this spring.

The First Street redevelopment is a collaborative effort between the city and the St. Charles Initiative, an advisory committee of community leaders. The initiative has raised more than $1.5 million in donations, including a $600,000 grant from Exelon and a $56,153 riverboat grant from Kane County.

Vitek said she first became involved with the project when she was still an alderwoman, and recognized the development was the culmination of efforts from so many different people. She said the public/private partnership and generous donations of the community that drove the project have really helped offset the taxpayer burden.

Former St. Charles Mayor Raymond Rogina also spoke at the unveiling.

Rogina paraphrased a quote from Quaker missionary Etienne de Grellet; “I expect to pass through this world but once. If therefore there to be any good deed I can do for my fellow human beings, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Rogina said the project was the work of original planners with bold ideas, four mayors, four city administrators, several alderpersons representing countless taxpayers, a myriad competent, devoted staff members, and the good deeds of numerous benefactors.

Rogina described the conception of the redevelopment project; a conversation he had when he was still mayor with then-Alderwoman Vitek and City Administrator Mark Koenen. He said it was Vitek’s idea to form the private/public partnership, which helped fund the project that is now a facet of the city’s downtown.

“It (the Plaza) becomes, today, part of our fabric,” Rogina said. “I know I speak for many who are present, and some we dearly remember, who are pleased that their good deeds, and frankly their souls, will roam the nooks and crannies of First Street from Prairie to Main, and more specifically, this gathering place where many people will stare at the Fox River, the municipal center and the Baker Hotel, and some will find time to think of new and creative ways to continue to make our town a special place.”

Former chair of the St. Charles Initiative John Hoscheit and current initiative chair and Alderman Ed Bessner also spoke at the ceremony.

Hoscheit credited many of the downtown businesses who were affected by the construction, saying they were some of the first to give donations to the project. He said their willingness to make a sacrifice for the benefit of the community was a huge part of what made the project work.

“In an era where politics tends to separate, I think we’re really a shining example of what happens when you get everyone together to get an initiative done,” Hoscheit said.

Also in attendance were a representative of Sen. Don DeWitte’s office, St. Charles police and fire chiefs, and the project’s architect Marty Serena, a St. Charles resident and architect with Serena Sturm Architects Ltd. of Chicago.

After the speeches, the ceremony moved outside to the plaza for the ribbon cutting. Before the ribbon was cut, a ceremonial flag was raised in honor of St. Charles resident and WWII veteran Wayne Stevenson, who turned 100 last year.

The plaza is intended to be a hub for shopping and outdoor dining in the city’s downtown. It also will be used for city events, seasonal markets and holiday displays. Upon completion, the plaza will feature a solar panel covered trellis, public art installations, charging kiosks, benches and lighting.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $6,425,748. Phase one included site acquisition, design, and foundation construction and cost $2,042,707. The nearly complete current — and final — phase will include all construction, management and furnishings at an estimated cost of $4,384,041.

The St. Charles Initiative still is accepting donations and offering sponsorship opportunities for the development. Donors can purchase naming rights for features of the plaza or fund furnishing elements that will be outfitted with plaques recognizing their sponsors.