Woodstock leaders touted the recent announcement of the city landing $10 million in state grant funding to help with its share of Route 47 construction-related costs.

Mayor Mike Turner noted the grant early on in his recent State of the City address.

“This is a very, very big deal,” Turner said. “We felt going into this we had maybe a 20%, 25% chance of getting it. We were asking them to provide money for the city portion of the expenses of Route 47.”

The mayor said that the state handles the road, but the city is on the hook for costs related to utilities and enhancing the look of the corridor.

“When you open up the road, you replace the water and sewer. That’s just good government” and an efficient way to do construction, the mayor said.

The city’s costs had ballooned from an estimated $6 million in 2019 to over $16 million in 2024, the mayor said. The city in March committed to paying that $16 million and, in a worst-case scenario, planned to issue $11 million in bonds if other revenue sources didn’t materialize.

The city received a separate, $2.5 million state grant for streetscape and lighting enhancements earlier this year. City leaders also have asked U.S. Rep. Bill Foster for assistance. Foster, a Democrat, has requested $3 million for the project in fiscal 2026, according to his website.

Other achievements Turner touted in his address included:

• Woodstock getting $23 million in grant funding over the past two years – including the $10 million for Route 47 – a feat the mayor called “extraordinary for a community our size.”
• the Riverwoods development getting underway. Turner said 35 units were in progress. About 250 single-family homes and 76 duplexes are planned for the development, which was controversial and opposed by some nearby residents.
• the city’s resurfacing of about 50 center-lane miles of roads, out of 121 total. The city’s goal was 70 miles, Turner said, but inflation has increased costs per mile. He also mentioned the city uses a product called Reclamite, which extends the life of the streets.
• growth in the use of recreation facilities and the opening of the Intergenerational Inclusive Playground at Emricson Park. Turner said it puts the city on the map and serves people. “What a gem – what an absolute gem that will last for decades in this community,” the mayor said.
• new businesses coming to Woodstock. The mayor thanked all of the new businesses for choosing Woodstock and highlighted a couple of larger businesses.
• a 26% decrease in the number of car crashes. Police Chief John Lieb attributed the decrease to enforcement, technology in cars and more focused drivers.
• the Woodstock Opera House finishing renovations. The mayor said the city wants to see new and bigger programming, and it’s time to monetize the building. “I say the sky is the limit,” Turner said.
• the proposed rail yard outside of Woodstock. Turner said he hopes the Bears will come to Arlington Heights. If that happens, it could grow Metra use on the Northwest line, and Turner said he will work with the city’s lobbyist to get more funding for the rail yard project. He said that is a work in progress, but he recognized it was a complex project.

Turner also mentioned the city has all the land for a downtown hotel and that the financing for it has been starting to look better. The city approved the hotel last year but signed off on an extension for the project to November 2026 earlier this year.

Woodstock acquired the property next to the hotel site at Jefferson and Calhoun streets through eminent domain, paying $625,000 for the land.

Turner also detailed the city’s efforts to prepare for Route 47 widening. He urged people to continue to support the businesses in the corridor over the next couple of years while construction happens.

“If you don’t, we will end up with 50% vacancies there,” the mayor said, quickly adding that it wasn’t fact, and he was just throwing that out there. “But that’s the risk.”

Other things on the horizon for Woodstock include a warming center at the Metra station, construction of a splash pad starting next year and Stage Left Cafe renovations. Woodstock got a $600,000 grant for the splash pad and a $1 million grant for Stage Left, the mayor said.