River Corridor Foundation weighs $500,000 floating garden project for Fox River in St. Charles

To float or not to float, that is the “garden” question for the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles.

Regardless of what it is able to accomplish or has to put on the back burner in its attempt to enhance the Fox River setting in St. Charles, the River Corridor Foundation has had plenty of ambition.

It shows with the Bob Leonard Walkway in St. Charles, the hundreds of daffodils planted in Mount St. Mary Park, and other enhancements and improvements on both banks of the river.

But one of its most recent visions, an Eco Park, or floating garden, to be placed in the river north of the boat docks in Pottawatomie Park, isn’t gaining full support from the foundation board — yet.

As such, supporters of the concept are sensing the idea, based on the Wild Mile floating garden in the Chicago River, may not bloom in St. Charles.

The floating garden concept does raise some legitimate issues, which became clearer for board members who have visited the one in Chicago.

“We have determined that there are a lot of questions that we need answers to,” said Jim Enck, a foundation board member with more than 50 years of experience as a land planner and landscape architect. “We are continuing to solicit information from Urban Rivers and our potential consultant.”

Enck acknowledges the floating garden might be more than the River Corridor Foundation can handle, when comparing it to Chicago’s vast options to obtain volunteers.

“For us, managing a project like this is monumental even though it is considerably smaller than the Wild Mile,” Enck added. “Also, the Fox River has different characteristics than the Chicago River that need to be addressed in any design.

“We can't just install the Eco Park and walk away,” he said. “These facilities need ongoing maintenance, usually from volunteers, and a point-person to be in charge.”

Board member Tom Anderson had similar feelings after visiting the Chicago site about costs and maintenance challenges but included the obvious about what happens to gardens in the winter.

“In the winter, there are a lot of dead plants there, which aren’t going to look beautiful,” he said.

The floating garden would be constructed in modules that can be arranged in different manners, with walkways, green vegetation areas and furnishings.

“One of the many purposes of the garden is that of an educational tool that can be utilized by the schools and park district,” said board member and avid supporter John Rabchuk. “There needs to be areas where groups of kids can congregate on walkways.”

Rabchuk is optimistic about the potential to secure volunteers, saying the foundation, for starters, has a list of more than 500 who work on the Daffodil Project at Mount St. Mary Park.

“The St. Charles Park District has suggested it might handle the scheduling of group activities for our proposed garden just as they do for all of the park facilities,” Rabchuk noted.

“I think that after a couple of years of tutelage under Wild Mile, RCF can establish a fund to hire part-time staff for the maintenance. It is certainly a topic worth discussing, with available solutions,” he added.

In his closing pitch, Rabchuk notes “the garden is highly portable and if it doesn't work or serve as the attraction and educational tool envisioned, it can be moved or relocated.”

The projected cost is roughly $500,000, which Rabchuk considers “pretty inexpensive for a new, unique park.”

Because the floating garden idea represents only a small part of the foundation’s overall Active River Plan, a master plan that speaks fully to the mission of making the Fox River a “community centerpiece” in the city, its failure to move the needle could lead to some looking in the mirror for the board. Even though it would be something unique to the area, if vocal opposition to the floating garden gets louder, the foundation can kiss any financial support goodbye.

It raises the question about whether the foundation should continue to push and oversee major projects, or simply become a fundraising arm for projects presented to it by other organizations.

After all, the foundation’s purpose, initially as a part of the downtown partnership, was to raise funds for river projects.

It might be wiser, Rabchuk admits, for the board to operate as an independent funder of projects to help, for example, provide money for something like a new dock for a canoe club.

Currently, the board understands the floating garden idea remains in a due-diligence stage.

“The RCF is discussing this and has not come to any conclusion as of yet,” Enck stated. “We are continuing to investigate.”

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. St. Charles has generally embraced unique projects with its sculptures, art, memorials and upgrades to Pottawatomie Park that would draw attention to the river.

Taking time to get answers for the floating garden project is a wise approach, one that should point decision makers on the right path.

Nino’s bread has cometh

Apparently, Nick Gaynor has found the bread he was looking for.

About a month ago, Gaynor, owner of the new Nino’s Italian Delicatessen at 17 N. Fourth St. in Geneva, told me the only thing holding up his opening was finding a bread he wanted to use for the deli’s sandwiches.

Gaynor says the deli will have a “signature sesame seed roll” from Crest Hill Bakery in Maryland, and ciabatta from Tribeca Ovens in New Jersey. “We wanted to stay true to our New York roots and went with East Coast bakeries,” he said.

Nino’s had its soft opening a couple of weeks ago but is planning its grand opening on Saturday, June 13, for customers to try free samples and familiarize themselves with the menu and the deli’s hours.

I’ve already tried the cold Italian Hero and hot Chicken Parm sandwiches at Nino’s and found both to be menu items Gaynor can point to with a lot of pride — because they are a lot of sandwich and a lot of good.

Toast to communication

When taking into account how many people dread the thought of talking in public in front of others, it’s good to know a local organization helps overcome those fears.

Public speaking or general communication skills are important, whether just making a toast at an event or answering questions from a prospective employer.

Fox Valley Toastmasters is hosting a free event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 20, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. 6th Ave., for jobseekers and anyone else wanting to improve communication skills.

The Toastmasters believe it takes longer to find a job these days, so the organization provides interview tips and practice, as well as encouragement, during these sessions.

One Toastmasters tool is called “Table Topics,” which it calls “basically improv.” A person has one to two minutes to answer a random question intelligently just like in a job interview, paving the way for future discussions that really matter.

Those interested can also attend a Toastmasters meeting free from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at the St. Charles Police Station at 1515 W. Main St. A Zoom option is available.

More information is available at foxvalleytm3399@gmail.com or by calling (630) 837-4162.

Let’s talk tarp

Whether it resolves the issue of why a white tarp is wrapped around what is left of the 1840s blacksmith shop on the former Mill Race property in Geneva remains to be seen.

But a hearing on that clash between the city and Shodeen’s Mill Race Land Company LLC over use of the tarp is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at Batavia City Hall.

The hearing is in front of the court officer who imposed a fine on Shodeen in October of 2024 over the question of maintaining the property.

Did you know?

By 1906, Kane County was quite prolific when it came to moving people via trolley cars with more than 68 miles of rails in Kane County.

Service was offered from Elgin to Aurora along the Fox River as well as through the towns of St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia. Those towns were posted at trolley ticket booths as stops in the Tri-Cities, a name that stuck with this cluster of towns along the Fox.

Even though Col. George Fabyan kept the trolley tracks off his riverfront property in Geneva for about four years in the late 1800s, he gave way to modern development after losing his fight in court. The result was three trolley stops on Fabyan’s land, with a 7-cent ride to downtown Geneva, according to the book, “Geneva, Illinois, A History of its Times and Places.” That ride was helpful to the many people who worked on Fabyan’s estate.

Before long, a network of trolley tracks stretched across Kane County and even offered county residents a 50-cent, one-way ticket to Chicago, or a round trip for 75 cents.

By the mid to late 1920s, there was streetcar service every half hour between Aurora and Elgin. The Fox River trolley lines suffered through the Great Depression, leading to the last day of service on March 31, 1935, according to a history book titled “Sunset Lines” by Larry Plachno.

Possibly, the most famous trolley car incident took place when the Main Street bridge in St. Charles collapsed in July 1902 from the weight of the passing trolley car.

Area residents have been able to relive this chapter in the history books when visiting the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, 365 S. La Fox St.

The museum, which offers trolley car rides, opened in 1966 as the Relic Trolley Museum. That first year, the 50-cent rides only went a short distance, until extra wire for the cars was installed and additional cars acquired, according to the museum website.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net