Renovation of a municipal facility in Hartford, Illinois. Completed plans call for the renovation of a municipal facility.

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/11/07/great-rivers-scenic-byway-visitors-center-hartford.html Two significant development projects along the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway in Metro East are planned, funded by a $10 million grant. A new $7.2 million visitors center for the tourism route, to be called the Byway Discovery Center, will be built on land at the Madison and Jersey County line west of Alton, near the mouth of Piasa Creek, said Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, which will operate the site. The 4,500-square-foot new facility will add parking for motor coaches, outdoor gathering and learning areas, interpretive panels and an outdoor art installation, kiosks, a riverside trail and a kayak landing, the organization said. Byway Discovery Centerexpand As planned, the new visitors center, shown in this rendering, would have public art installations, riverside trails, permanent exhibit space and a gift shop. Great Rivers & Routes Inside, the center will have 1,400 square feet of permanent exhibit space, a gift shop, lecture facility and restrooms. The site will be open seven days a week, the bureau said. In another $2.8 million project funded by the grant, major renovations will get underway on the Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford, including the tower renovation, park expansion, public art installations, a new playscape area for children and an expanded visitor center experience revolving around the Lewis and Clark expedition and the American Bottoms Natural Heritage Area. The 150-foot tower with three observation decks was completed in 2010 near the camp site of the Lewis and Clark expedition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the event. Both projects are scheduled to open in spring 2026, the organization said. The tourism bureau manages the Great River Road, the 33-mile scenic byway that stretches from Hartford to north of Grafton at Pere Marquette State Park. The bureau said it will install 10 kayak rental station kiosks along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers in Madison, Jersey and Calhoun counties. Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower Hartford Streetview renderingexpand This rendering depicts renovations to the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower, the 150-foot tower with observation decks that was completed in 2010 near the camp site of the Lewis and Clark expedition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the event. Great Rivers & Routes The $10 million grant is part of a capital bill approved by the state of Illinois to create projects that enhance the rivers and promote the history of the region, the organization said. Tourism in the area has increased since the pandemic, rising 22% over the last two years and spending at more than $100 million since the pandemic, said Cory Jobe, CEO of Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. The original plan for the discovery center called for building it at Piasa Park near Alton, where the legendary Piasa Bird mural sits on the river bluffs. That site fell through due to ownership of the land and potential tax liabilities, the tourism bureau said. A second site in Alton was eliminated after talks with city officials and organizations, the bureau said. The new location chosen for the Byway Discovery Center, directly on the byway at 10815 Lockhaven Road in Godfrey, will directly connect to the Mississippi River at the site of a project soon to be completed, the Upper Mississippi River Restoration at the Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Island Complex, a rehabilitation project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bureau said. The land, leased through a partnership with the nonprofit Great Rivers Land Trust, is immediately upstream of the Army Corps’ Piasa Creek Recreation Area and Boater Access, the organization said. The site is “keenly positioned” on the Great River Road, with a natural river view, Jobe said in a statement. The river corridor has more than 38,000 acres of public lands and river access, including hiking trails and paddling trails, he said. Contractors working on both projects are all based in Illinois and include SMS Engineers of Alton, Henderson Associates Architects of Edwardsville, Kennedy Hutson Associates Architects of Monticello, the Hitchcock Design Group of Naperville, and Taylor Studios of Rantoul. The tourism bureau, a nonprofit, said posted revenue of $2.87 million and expenses of $3.03 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, according to its most recent IRS filing. ---------------------------------------------------------- The scope of this project includes but is not limited to, the following: renovation of a municipal facility. As of October 10, 2024, a general contractor has not yet been selected for this project. A firm construction timeline for this project has not yet been released. The project consists of removal of the existing membrane, insulation, and coping. New insulation, roofing, and coping is to be installed. This includes the low roof at both wings and the top of both 180 foot towers.