June 18, 2025
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Riverwalk hits another snag

By Christopher Breach
Work is scheduled to begin on Kankakee’s East Riverwalk project at the southeast corner of East River Street and South Schuyler Avenue on Jan. 22 when a groundbreaking ceremony will be held.

Kankakee’s East Riverwalk project at the southeast corner of East River Street and South Schuyler Avenue broke ground on Jan. 22, 2025. Construction may face another delay due to an additional environmental issue. (Tiffany Blanchette)

Kankakee might have to wait until Aug. 1 before work can begin on the East Riverwalk project due to another environmental issue.

Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis reported at Monday’s City Council meeting that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources informed the city that there are river redhorse fish that are spawning in the Kankakee River, and they can’t be disturbed until Aug. 1.

That revelation came after City Engineer Neil Piggush informed the council that the river mussels are being moved, beginning June 23. That’s expected to be completed June 30, which the city thought would allow Riverwalk construction to begin soon after July 1.

“They’re coming at us from all angles,” Piggush said.

“This is the first that we’ve heard of this last week,” Curtis said. “I don’t know why this wasn’t told to us last fall, last summer.”

Piggush said that it wasn’t mentioned to the city when they had a review with the IDNR in the fall.

“Now they’re bringing it up to us, and I’m not happy,” he said.

The city appealed to the IDNR for a 30-day variance on that decision, noting that its ecological consultant said that the fish are done spawning by June 30. Piggush said IDNR gave them a “hard no.”

Curtis said the city can’t lose another month of construction, and he will move the requests up the chain of command. The contractor is “itching” to get started.

He said he will even ask U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for help as there’s federal money involved in the Riverwalk project.

“I’m going as high as I can go,” Curtis said. “... I’ve got to start working the political connections, I guess.”

The $5,004,315 park-like East Riverwalk project is on a 1-acre property at the southeast corner of East River Street and South Schuyler Avenue in Kankakee.

“Every week at this point counts,” Piggush said. “We don’t want to lose weeks over, I don’t want to make it sound like nothing, but it’s a subjective spawning thing.”

Curtis said it’s frustrating for all involved.

“The project will happen,” he said. “I can guarantee the public that the East Riverwalk will be constructed one way or another. It’s just a matter of time.”