Some 25 years after its last renovation, the Bradley Village Board meeting room was reopened following a more than $750,000 top-to-bottom rehab.

On Monday, guests and village residents packed into the village hall, 147 S. Michigan Ave., for the unveiling of the six-month rehab project that came in for a cost of $764,276.

The project touched every aspect of the meeting room and included, among many other items, new electrical, flooring, masonry, heating and air conditioning, sound system, windows, roofing and furniture.

Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis, Bourbonnais Mayor Jeff Keast, Manteno Mayor Annette LaMore, Kankakee County Board member Peggy Sue Munday, former Bradley Mayor Jerry Balthazor, former Bradley Trustee Bob Redmond and former Bourbonnais Township Park District Executive Director Ed Piatt were some of those on hand for the ribbon cutting.

The construction project of the about 2,500-square-foot room was headed by Johnson Downs Construction Co. of Kankakee.

Before cutting the ribbon and opening the room before the start of the official Bradley Village Board business, Mayor Mike Watson thanked all involved.

He also noted this project was near and dear to him, and he took a very hands-on approach to its design.

Jeff Downs watched over the rehab from start to finish.

“It turned out amazing,” he said moments after the ribbon cutting. He said the Bradley board room is without question the nicest in Kankakee County.

“Bradley has set a high bar,” he said in terms of a governmental meeting area.

The initial renovation price has been set at nearly $645,000. However, some work, including roofing, was added to the project.

“Bradley has built a nice facility they can use for a long time,” Downs said.

After the meeting, Watson said many initiatives have taken place under his mayoral tenure, but he believes this project is nearest and dearest to him.

“This one strikes a chord with me the most,” he said. He said he devoted much time and thought to the eventual final design.

“I hope all of Bradley is proud of this,” he said.

About two years ago, the village offices within the Bradley Village Hall underwent a major rehab. That project cost about $350,000.

With these two renovations completed, the village has a nearly brand new village hall for the cost of about $1.1 million.

In 2024, Bradley also had its Bradley Community Center, 428 W. Broadway St., a building it purchased in 2021, completely renovated for $971,000.

The Bradley Village Board had been hosting its meetings in the community center while the village board room was being rehabbed.