Gurnee breaks ground on plaza honoring former mayor

Instrumental in the development of Gurnee, former Mayor Richard Welton took part in many groundbreaking ceremonies during his long political career. On Saturday, he was the honored guest as the village broke ground on the Richard A. Welton Village Plaza.

"The legacy of Dick Welton is on every street, every sidewalk, running through every mile of water main, and on the faces of children whose parents chose to raise them here," Mayor Kristina Kovarik said. "The site will capture in bronze the many significant achievements of the man who loved the village more than anyone."

Having grown up in Gurnee when it was a rural community of 3,600 people, Welton said many of village's young people went off to college and never came back because Gurnee didn't have opportunities for them.

"We worked really hard to build a balanced community, full of opportunities," Welton told the crowd.

Among the accomplishments of mayor from 1973 to 2001 were the development of Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills, numerous housing developments and the expansion of the village, which now boasts a population of more than 31,000.