Rock Falls’ next big riverfront project: RB&W Park restrooms

ROCK FALLS – By this time next year, riverfront activities could be made even more pleasant with the addition of public restrooms at RB&W Park.

The City Council agreed Tuesday to devote $250,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to restroom construction, which has been on the list of riverfront to-dos since development began in 2015.

That’s only about half of what the project is estimated to cost. The rest of the money may come from a combination of the city’s tourism and TIF funds; that decision has yet to be made, City Administrator Robbin Blackert said.

In 2015, Rock Falls bonded $1 million for building up the riverfront, vowing to “pay as they go” and never to go into debt.

Property taxes paid by the Holiday Inn, which go into the TIF fund, have been paying off that bond, allowing the city to keep that promise, Blackert said.

The city’s ARPA windfall is giving this project impetus.

The restrooms are “a huge undertaking with limited funds, and we thought that would be a good use of the ARPA funds,” said Alderwoman Gabriella McKanna, chairwoman of the finance/insurance/investment committee.

Now that this funding has been approved, the city will firm up which of its funds will finance the other $250,000, Willet, Hofmann & Associates will design the facility, and, if all goes to plan, bids will be let in the winter or spring and construction will be done by the summer or fall next year, Blackert said.

The next project will be a water feature for the park, Blackert said. It’s way too soon for a timeline, but she’s going on the hunt for grants to help fund it, she said.

“We’ll put it in when we can pay for it.”