The city of Rochelle’s work on three ongoing construction projects in its downtown area is progressing to new phases with a planned total completion date of the end of 2026, Interim City Manager and City Engineer Sam Tesreau said May 6.

The projects include a new restroom, stage and storage structure and gathering area on the north end of the city’s Main Street parking lot and reconstruction of the rest of the municipal parking lots between Fourth and Fifth avenues, undergrounding of overhead utilities in the alley between Lincoln Highway and Main Street from Sixth Avenue to Fourth Avenue, and a Fourth Avenue storm sewer project from Main Street to between Lincoln Highway and Sixth Street.

The project also includes other offsite work at the intersection of Second Avenue and Washington Street, which will create a new municipal parking lot for about 30-plus vehicles.

Tesreau said May 6 that the storm sewer installation along Fourth Avenue has been completed and pavement and curb restoration will take place the third week of May. The city’s contractors, DPI and Martin and Company, are currently working on new storm sewer installation in the alley between Lincoln Highway and Main Street, which is planned to be completed around May 14. The storm sewer project along Fourth Avenue will cost about $390,000.

“Once the storm sewer improvements are completed, pavement removal will start on the municipal parking lots just west of Main Street and north of Fourth Avenue in mid- to late May to reconstruct the entire southerly three lots,” Tesreau said. “The storm sewer installation that was just completed on Fourth Avenue was the last phase of storm sewer improvements from the Kyte River west to Sixth Street that began in 2018.

“These drainage improvements will help collect all of the additional runoff of the tributary downtown area and convey it back to the Kyte River and the easternmost end of Fourth Avenue. The new storm sewer pipes have been designed and upsized now to accommodate for the anticipated runoff and increase in storm events.”

The stage and storage area along with a gathering area and public restrooms are part of a $3,127,095 second phase of downtown improvements that will also include the reconstruction of three parking lots, a new parking lot on the corner of Washington Street and Second Avenue, and the reconstruction of the alley between Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue. The first phase saw other parking lots in the downtown area reconstructed in 2024 and 2025.

The project stems from the city’s receipt of a grant for $1,151,794 for the downtown work in 2022 and other TIF bonds approved by the city council. The project will be paid for through the grant funds, downtown tax increment financing (TIF) bonds, hotel/motel tax, CIP, landfill and city railroad funds.

Tesreau said May 6 that the foundation work began on the stage, restrooms, and retaining wall structures in late April and a “substantial” amount of the steel rebar reinforcement for the foundation is currently being constructed.

“We anticipate the concrete pours will begin the third week of May,” Tesreau said. “The stage footprint will start taking shape soon and the public will have a better idea of the final envelope of the building structure.”

When the existing pavement in the municipal lots east of Lincoln Highway is removed, Lincoln Highway between Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue will be temporarily made into a one-way street with additional angled parking spots on both sides to replace spots lost by the work in the municipal parking lots under construction.

The city council approved acquisition of properties and demolition of two homes along Fifth Avenue and Main Street. While engineering design is completed for the parking and offsite drainage improvements to Third Street, city public works crews have recently completed a temporary aggregate parking lot on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street to help meet lost parking needs of the downtown businesses.

Tesreau said the Lincoln Highway parking changes will be put in effect the week of May 10.

“I think the efforts to create the temporary one-way on Lincoln Highway between Fourth and Fifth avenues will help in replacing some parking stalls lost due to construction,” Tesreau said. “We will convert it back to a two-way street once the parking lots are back in service. With the temporary parking lot and changing Lincoln Highway to a one-way, that will add about another 26 stalls to the downtown area. I believe that to be in effect until the end of July 2026.”

The main line electric portion of the utility undergrounding project has been completed, Tesreau said. Underground utility service conduits are currently being run to existing buildings, although the new electric service and telecom lines are not yet live. It’s anticipated that the overhead utility lines will be removed from the alley by early fall 2026, Tesreau said.

With the downtown projects underway through the end of this year, Tesreau said he appreciates the patience of downtown business owners and residents.

“I know that the work has been very inconvenient and frustrating for people because it’s such a confined space to work within and the number of businesses that are impacted by it and trying to accommodate their daily needs,” Tesreau said. “We continue to move forward as efficiently as we can while trying to accommodate the needs of businesses as much as possible.”

Rochelle’s downtown area dates to the late 1800s and Tesreau said that has resulted in “a lot of unpredictable items” such as unknown utilities and facilities to navigate around during excavating and construction, with some slight changes taking place as the shovel is going in the ground.

Tesreau said the ongoing downtown improvements are expected to last “50 plus” years once completed.

“It will be very beneficial for the downtown in terms of cleaning up the area and making the downtown’s appearance new and fresh while accommodating the ever-expanding needs of the greater established downtown area for decades to come,” Tesreau said.

The last time Rochelle saw a substantial downtown renovation project was in 1986, when the downtown streetscape was completed along with improvements to Page Park. The current work will supersede that project and create additional amenities needed today, such as improved walkability, parking, lighting, gathering spaces, pocket parks and landscaping to support the area’s business community and create an attractive place of destination for those outside our community,” Tesreau said.

“The city council and staff have made a commitment to the betterment of the greater downtown,” Tesreau said. “With all the improvements you’re seeing in the area, we’re pushing nearly $6 million in investment in the downtown since 2022 when additional parking lots, storm sewer and other utility improvements began along Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street.

”With this final phase seeing substantial completion by the end of the year, this extensive public infrastructure project will make our downtown a better and attractive place for everybody to enjoy. I’m very excited to see what new and improved businesses may take root in our downtown due in part to our city’s leaders’ vision and investment.”