Community Pulse: Meet me in Morris

In an address to the city council at the first meeting of the fiscal year, Mayor Chris Brown declared, “I believe Morris’ best days are ahead of us.” I couldn’t agree more.

Our city has the plans, the funding, the partners, and heart to ensure it happens. With so much transpiring locally, I want to recap a few projects and initiatives that will translate into enhanced quality of life for residents, a more favorable environment for businesses, and enhancements to draw visitors to Morris as a destination.

We were thrilled to learn Morris received nearly $800,000 through a competitive Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant for enhancements to our Downtown. Special thanks to the residents, visitors, and business owners who gave input to the plan, which was originally submitted in 2023. The Morris Restaurant & Retail Association has been instrumental in encouraging the city to take necessary steps to ensure a favorable business environment in our historic downtown.

The work will include improvements along Liberty Street and 3 bump-outs to be added to key intersections. This will expand pedestrian space and opportunities for more outdoor dining. Bollards will be provided for pedestrian safety, along with beautification elements which include raised landscape planting areas and benches. In addition to these beautification improvements, new storm water inlets, curbs and gutters are also part of the plan. The improvements were recommended in the Morris Downtown Master Plan which was adopted in July 2020. A construction timeline is in the works.

Additionally, the city partnered with Viewpoint Project, a national production firm, to showcase communities working to balance smalltown values with economic growth. The on-site filming captured the stories of small businesses, hometown pride, natural assets, and the traits that make Morris desirable. One of the results is a 3-minute segment, appearing throughout the year on PBS, TLC, Discovery, Animal Planet, and CNN at times determined at the network’s discretion. Check it out the video, which features testimonials from local entrepreneurs Patrick Keegan and Michelle Xydakis, along with many familiar Morris faces: https://morrisil.org/?video=true.

Wayfinding signs along Route 47, including a digital sign for Downtown events and happenings, are in production now. This project was funded by a generous Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grant facilitated by Senator Sue Rezin. Concurrently, new lighting will be placed along Route 47 throughout the Downtown corridor. The aesthetically pleasing lights will add functionality and enhance the safety of this area for pedestrians and cyclists. Both projects will take place this summer.

We are so proud of our city- its residents, businesses, volunteers, leaders, and spirit of community. As we head into a busy spring and summer event season, there have never been more reasons to “Meet me in Morris!”