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Implementation

The Fox River Corridor Master Plan includes dozens of important recommendations to “Create a lively riverfront environment that is the centerpiece of the community”. Fortunately, as detailed in the Opportunity Analysis, St. Charles has the critical natural, cultural and physical resources that enable community leaders to execute the strategy with confidence. However, the size of the study area, the number of improvement recommendations, and the multi-jurisdictional influences make rapid implementation a daunting task.

In this section, the recommendations are translated into specific, prioritized projects and actions that are organized as Public Policy Improvements, Operational Improvements, and Capital Improvements. Each project describes the type, potential cost, potential funding source, and the leaders and partners who are responsible for completing the project. Projects are prioritized based on their level of complication, potential cost, their catalytic potential and expected return on investment.

Both public and private sector leaders and property owners will be responsible for executing the actions outlined in this plan, often in close collaboration with each other. With the periodic assistance of legal, marketing and other business consultants, the Active River Task Force (ARTF) can accomplish many modest cost initiatives such as policy and operational changes, if members are willing to invest the time to work through the issues. By comparison, many of the larger capital improvements will require the assistance of design and engineering consultants and involve considerable City, Park District, and/or Forest Preserve leadership and investment because of their scale, complexity and cost. Since the construction of some of the new capital improvements will depend, in part, on outside grant funding, completion may extend beyond the outlined time horizon. Lastly, private redevelopment is heavily influenced by the market, investor and property owner circumstances that are difficult to forecast. Logically, redevelopment will likely follow and be influenced by the public policy and operational improvements.

Policy Improvements
Operational Improvements
Capital Improvements

Policy Improvements

Park District, City, and Forest Preserve District leaders, property and business owners, and other stakeholders need to closely collaborate to update and refine certain policies that will help advance the strategy. The ARTF, made up of representatives from each of these groups, should continue to remain active to advance the priority policy improvements.

	ACTION/DELIVERABLE	LEADERSHIP
Codes, Ordinances and Studies
	• Adopt this River Corridor Master Plan Update, review and update the priority actions and improvements annually	» City of St. Charles (City), St. Charles Park District (SCPD), Forest Preserve District of Kane County (FPDKC)
	• Complete Police Facility Study	» City
	• Continue negotiations with UPRR to purchase vacated RR bridge	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Evaluate, incorporate, and require environmental best management practices in ordinances and policies	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
Agency Coordination
	• Vigorously advocate the Active River Strategy with the Fox River Study Group	» City, other Fox River cities
	• Synchronize City, Park District and County policies to prioritize river corridor improvements	» Active River Task Force/River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles (ARTF), All River Corridor Partners
	• Review the Strategy with regulatory Agencies to determine project related regulations and requirements	» City, SCPD
	• Continue to advocate for the improvements on behalf of all river corridor partners	» ARTF
Finance
	• Select river corridor improvements and align with partner agency Capital Improvement Plans and all sources of revenue (include both simple-to-execute and complex projects like the Phase I study of the dam)	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Assign someone to research grant funding and produce periodic memos shared/compared with other corridor partners. Identify best opportunities and partnerships, apply for/facilitate awards	» All River Corridor Partners
	• Seek funding through state and federal sources to complete a Phase I study of the dam modification, confirm local match(es)	» City
	• Seek corporate and individual donations	» Active River Task Force/River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles (ARTF)

Operational Improvements

The Park District, City, and Forest Preserve District are responsible for many day-to-day operational activities such as code enforcement, public property maintenance and programming, along with community outreach and advocacy. Additionally, private property and business owners are responsible for leasing, managing and maintaining their properties. Ideally, all public and private sector stakeholders will work closely together to improve the river corridor. Focusing on areas of common interest and defining how each entity can participate mitigates any potential overlap or competing interests in the work necessary to improve the river corridor. Once again, the ARTF can continue to play an important role in advancing the priority operational improvements.

	ACTION/DELIVERABLE	LEADERSHIP
Organization
	• Synchronize 2016 City, Park District, County and organizational operations plans to prioritize river corridor promotion and programming	» ARTF, All River Corridor Partners
	• Prioritize operational plan improvements to advance future implementation items	» ARTF, City, SCPD, FPDKC, KDOT, Downtown St. Charles Partnership, Inc St. Charles Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Advocacy, Promotion and Marketing
	• Continue to advance community outreach and advocacy with agencies, potential developers and the public	» ARTF
	• Actively encourage private recreational activities such as rowing, canoeing, kayaking, and bicycling programs and groups	» ARTF, SCPD
	• Explore the possibility for private vendors to provide specialized recreational activities such as climbing walls, ropes coursed and zip lines	» ARTF, SCPD
	• Continue to support and promote the arts and programmed events and activities throughout the river corridor	» ARTF, St. Charles Arts Council (SCAC)
	• Align the activities of partner agencies and stakeholders related to “brand” , emphasizing the river, promoting new features, and portraying an active lifestyle and visitor appeal	» All River Corridor Partners
Public Space
	• Evaluate existing maintenance practices for improvements that will positively affect river ecology and water quality	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Develop a plan for maintenance of future capital improvements	» City, SCPD, FPDKC

Capital Improvements

This plan identifies many capital improvements, some of which can be completed in a relatively short timeline. Others, because of cost and complexity, will take many years to implement. Park District, City and Forest Preserve District leaders should start with simple, high impact, modest cost projects, then budget for and initiate more complicated, high-investment/high impact projects, as funding allows, giving the highest priority to the most catalytic projects. Leaders should also link the master-planned capital improvements to significant private sector investment, whenever possible to leverage the impacts.

Capital improvement projects typically follow a three phase process: Preliminary Design and Engineering (Phase I), Final Design and Engineering (Phase II), and Construction (Phase III). Customarily, the cost of Phase I and Phase II services is 10 percent of the project value, and the cost of Phase III is typically 3-5 percent of the total project value. With more complex projects, leaders should initiate Phase I consulting services well in advance of the targeted construction date to accommodate sometimes lengthy outreach, design, engineering and multijurisdictional permitting timelines.

	ACTION/DELIVERABLE	LEADERSHIP
River Park
	• Align temporary bulkhead wall (city hall-police station) rehabilitation with Active River Strategy	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the dam modification	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the children’s play environment	» City, SCPD
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the signature pedestrian bridge	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Bridgeview observation area	» City, SCPD
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the continuous riverfront walkway, water access, and observation areas	» City, SCPD
Riverwalk
	• Create an enhancement plan for the Leonard Walkway for fundraising and construction	» ARTF, City, SCPD
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Riverside Avenue Riverwalk (North of Prairie)	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Riverside Avenue (South of Prairie) Riverwalk	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the downtown loop civic plaza	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Beith House civic plaza	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Hazletine Park destination play environment	» City
	• Explore the possibility to add a kinetic sculpture and plantings on the island	» City, ARTF
	• Align Piano Factory Bridge rehabilitation with the Active River Strategy	» City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct surf wave south of Piano Factory Bridge	» City
Regional Trails and Connections
	• Align Fox River Trail sign improvements with the Active River Strategy	» Kane County Department of Transportation (KDOT)
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Fox River Trail north extension	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Fox River Trail (east side) north extension	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Fox River Trail (west side) north extension	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the east/west Great Western trail connection across the railroad bridge	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct grade separated and at-grade pedestrian and bike connections	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Evaluate existing bike paths and determine areas in need of improvement	» ARTF, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct priority bike path improvements	» SCPD, FPDKC
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct river corridor gateways	» City, SCPD
Private Development
	• Align the First Street Redevelopment improvements with the Active River Strategy	» ARTF, City
	• Align future riverfront redevelopment projects with the Active River Strategy	» ARTF, City
	• Facilitate discussions with stakeholders regarding the potential for a rowing training center, camping and seasonal activities and rentals	» ARTF, SCPD
Natural Assets
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct the Boy Scout Island modifications	» SCPD, City
	• Evaluate the shoreline to determine locations requiring shoreline restoration	» ARTF, SCPD, City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct shoreline restoration improvements	» SCPD, City
	• Determine locations for fishing stations	» ARTF, SCPD, City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct fishing stations	» SCPD, City
	• Evaluate river tributaries and determine locations requiring restoration	» ARTF, SCPD, City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct tributary restoration improvements	» SCPD, City
	• Evaluate areas with poor drainage and flooding, and determine locations requiring improvement	» SCPD, City
Recreational Assets
	• Evaluate locations throughout the river corridor to incorporate splash pads, destination playgrounds, and specialized recreation opportunities	» ARTF, SCPD, City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct specialized recreational improvements	» SCPD
	• Evaluate passive recreational activities to determine potential improvements throughout the river corridor	» ARTF, SCPD, City
	• Design, engineer, permit and construct improvements to passive recreational activities throughout the river corridor	» SCPD
Cultural Assets
	• Align the Active River Strategy with the St. Charles Arts Council and other affiliated organizations to promote cultural asset improvements throughout the river corridor	» ARTF, City
	• Fundraise and install art and historical components along the riverfront and throughout the river corridor	» ARTF, SCAC

Priority Actions and Improvements

Community leaders should use this prioritized list of actions and improvements to guide policy, capital and operational improvements over the next 3 years. They should update this list, annually, to review progress, re-order actions based on changed circumstances, and identify new actions related to emerging opportunities. Costs are uninflated 2015 dollars, and leadership roles are noted with the understanding that elected leaders in the partnering agencies must approve all policies and appropriations.

The recommended actions and improvements are prioritized based on:

An appropriate return on investment (broadly defined as the use of valuable financial, physical and human resources to create community impacts in support of the River Corridor Strategy)
Availability of adequate funding (from public or private sources)
Appropriate control of or access to river and/or corridor property
Complexity and time to complete (creating and sustaining momentum with a combination of small, large, simple and complex projects)
Relationship to private sector development (desirable private development adjacent to the river should always advance the corridor strategy)
Relationship to public sector infrastructure projects (public improvements adjacent to the river should always advance the corridor strategy)

2015

Policy Improvements
Priority Capital Improvements
Priority Operational Improvements

	Action/Deliverable	Leadership
	• Adopt this River Corridor Master Plan Update	» City of St. Charles (City) St. Charles Park District (SCPD) Forest Preserve District of Kane County (FPDKC)
	• Vigorously advocate the Active River Strategy with the Fox River Study Group	» City, other downstream cities
	• Select river corridor improvements for the 2016 and the 3-year Capital Improvement Plan (include both simple-to-execute and complex projects like the Phase I study of the dam)	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Seek funding through state and federal sources to complete a Phase I study of the dam modification. Confirm local match(es).	» City
	• Assign someone to research grant funding and produce periodic memos shared/compared with other corridor partners. Identify best opportunities and partnerships, apply for/facilitate awards.	» All River Corridor Partners
	• Complete Police Facility Study	» City
	• Continue negotiations with UPRR to purchase vacated RR bridge	» City, SCPD, FPDKC

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Align Piano Factory Bridge rehabilitation with the Active River Strategy	» City
TBD	• Align temporary bulkhead wall (city hall-police station) rehabilitation with Active River Strategy	» City
TBD	• Align Fox River Trail sign improvements with the Active River Strategy	» Kane County Department of Transportation (KDOT)
TBD	• Align First Street Redevelopment improvements with the Active River Strategy	» City

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Synchronize 2016 City, Park District, County and organizational operations plans to prioritize river corridor promotion and programming	» Active River Task Force/River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles (ARTF), All River Corridor Partners
TBD	• Community outreach and advocacy	» ARTF

2016

Priority Policy Improvements
Priority Capital Improvements
Priority Operational Improvements

	Action	Leadership
	• Continue to advocate Active River Strategy with Fox River Study Group	» City
	• Prioritize river corridor improvements for 2017 Capital Improvement Plans	» City, SCPD, FPDKC
	• Continue to seek funding for dam modification	» City, IEPA
	• Continue to monitor grant opportunities	» All River Corridor Partners

Cost	Action	Leadership
$1,000,000	• Start Preliminary Design/Engineering of the dam modification	» City
$50,000	• Complete Preliminary Design/Engineering of Riverside Drive Riverwalk (Ohio-Prairie)	» City
$10,000	• Create an enhancement plan for “Leonard” Riverwalk for fundraising, periodic completion	» ARTF
$15,000	• Prepare Preliminary Design/Engineering for shoreline enhancements for Riverside Drive, south of Prairie	» City
TBD	• Design and construct a small project from simple-to-execute projects list	» ARTF, City, SCPD

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Synchronize 2017 City, Park District, County and organizational operations plans to prioritize river corridor promotion and programming	» ARTF, City, SCPD, FPDKC, KDOT, Downtown St. Charles Partnership, Inc St. Charles Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
TBD	• Community outreach and advocacy	» ARTF

2017

Priority Policy Improvements
Priority Capital Improvements
Priority Operational Improvements

	Action	Leadership
	• Continue to advance dam modification plans	» City
	• Prioritize river corridor improvements for 2018 Capital Improvement Plans	» City, SCPD, FPDKC

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Complete Preliminary Design/Engineering of dam modification; Continue funding/implementation strategy	» City
$200,000	• Complete Final Design/Engineering of Riverside Drive Riverwalk (Ohio-Prairie)	» City
$25,000	• Prepare Preliminary Design/Engineering for Fox River Trail at Golf Course	» SCPD, FPDKC
$100,000	• Construct some enhancements on “Leonard” Riverwalk	» City
60,000	• Prepare Final Design/Engineering for selected shoreline enhancements along Riverside Drive, south of Prairie	» City

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Synchronize 2018 City, Park District, County and organizational operations plans to prioritize river corridor promotion and programming	» All River Corridor Partners
TBD	• Community outreach and advocacy	» ARTF

2018

Priority Policy Improvements
Priority Capital Improvements
Priority Operational Improvements

	Action	Leadership
	• Continue to advance dam modification plans	» City
	• Prioritize river corridor improvements for 2019 Capital Improvement Plans	» City, SCPD, FPDKC

Cost	Action	Leadership
$2,500,000	• Construct Riverside Drive Riverwalk (Ohio-Prairie)	» City
$100,000	• Construct additional enhancements to “Leonard” Riverwalk	» City

Cost	Action	Leadership
TBD	• Community outreach and advocacy	» ARTF

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Master Plan

St. Charles Active
River Project

P.O. Box 3753
St. Charles, IL 60174

Useful Pages

About the Project

The goal of the St. Charles Active River Project is to create a lively riverfront environment and experience that is the centerpiece of the community. Your participation and input are important. Contact us to get involved or provide your feedback here

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Master Plan

Implementation

Policy Improvements

ACTION/DELIVERABLE

LEADERSHIP

Codes, Ordinances and Studies

Agency Coordination

Finance

Operational Improvements

ACTION/DELIVERABLE

LEADERSHIP

Organization

Advocacy, Promotion and Marketing

Public Space

Capital Improvements

ACTION/DELIVERABLE

LEADERSHIP

River Park

Riverwalk

Regional Trails and Connections

Private Development

Natural Assets

Recreational Assets

Cultural Assets

Priority Actions and Improvements

2015

Action/Deliverable

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

2016

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

2017

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

2018

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

Cost

Action

Leadership

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Master Plan

St. Charles Active River Project

Useful Pages

About the Project

St. Charles Active
River Project