Work on Kankakee’s East River walk is an estimated 70% complete, Kankakee officials noted late the past week. Visitors at this weekend’s Kankakee River Regatta will likely notice key developments have been made at the riverwalk park. What many people will not be able to view is what the riverwalk offers in terms of development. The work the likely $5.7 million project will do for Kankakee development is only just beginning. As Kankakee-based Piggush-Simoneau Inc. crews enter the home stretch of project completion, Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis said this development means far more than just a 1-acre park along the scenic Kankakee River.
This long-awaited project is envisioned as the springboard to what could be significant development along South Schuyler Avenue and points east and west, Curtis said. And while city leaders are keeping their fingers crossed, Curtis said developers have already had discussions as to what types of projects are being targeted in this area.
On the table are potential developments with retail, housing and dining. Many of these options can be attributed to the Kankakee River’s flowing waters. “This brings the river back to the public,” Curtis said, meaning the riverwalk is transforming the Kankakee River into a key development tool in this area. Based on early, informal talks, developers envision numerous options regarding what can succeed in this area with the East Riverwalk being the jumping off point. “This will spur economic growth and that means sales taxes and property taxes,” he said. “People are already meeting with private landowners right around this development.”
In short, Curtis, Piggush and city manager Elizabeth Kubal see the East Riverwalk, along with the investments in the 500 block of South Schuyler as simply the start of further investments. Riverwalk nearing completion Piggush estimated the 1-acre riverwalk park, set on the southeast corner of South Schuyler and East River, to be about 70% finished. To say the project – set in motion in 2018 during the Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong administration – and picked up by Curtis when he took office in 2021 – has been a challenge would be putting it mildly.
There have been significant hurdles to eclipse at almost every point – the two chief obstacles being a nearly doubling of the initial $3 million price tag and the endangered freshwater mussels, which needed to be gathered and relocated. In total, 346 mussels were captured last summer and relocated. The project was again delayed in 2025 due to another environmental issue of the river redhorse fish spawning season.
And despite the ups and downs on development along the Kankakee River, Curtis has no regrets. “This has been worth taking on. This has been talked about for 35 years.” It is also just the first step for an area only an arm’s reach from downtown Kankakee. Who knew the river was so close? Many will soon find out just how close it is.”
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