Construction recently began on a Memorial Plaza project on the south side of the historic Ogle County Courthouse property in Oregon.

The Ogle County Board approved a $200,700 bid from O’Brien Civil Works for the project in March.

The project will be funded by a grant for green space at the former location of the Ogle County Jail that was demolished in recent years. Any remaining costs will come from the county’s long-range capital expense fund.

The Memorial Plaza will include a circle and sidewalk going down the side to the front of the memorial. There will be a bronze eagle on a pedestal in the center. The Ogle County Historical Society will also be including a time capsule into the project involving America’s 250th anniversary.

The project will have accessible walkways to existing memorials and the Memorial Plaza and also includes lighting for courthouse and memorial areas.

The project will be broken into three phases due to needed funds and will involve fundraising. Three benches for the project have already been donated. Landscaping and shrubbery will be included as well.

The second phase would include a curved walkway into the memorial from the east, with a total of seven benches. The third phase would include landscaping and trees and shrubs, along with a canopy, the most expensive aspect of the project.