Kankakee Riverfront Master Plan

In 2018 community leaders approved a sweeping and detailed plan to create and sustain an extraordinary riverfront that is the catalyst for Kankakee’s renaissance as a premiere Illinois riverfront community. The multi-dimensional strategy emphasizes a package of distinctive river attractions, three-dimensional river connections, tax-advantaged redevelopment, and the vigorous promotion of a compelling, new river-centric brand. Just blocks from downtown, the high-exposure, $20 million Riverwalk Mill Race District will feature a national-caliber whitewater course carved out of a nine-foot low-head dam, a high-amenity promenade, a festival street, transient boat facilities and numerous mixed-use redevelopment sites. Connected by four miles of trails, the riverfront will also feature artistically sculpted riverbanks, a river-themed children’s garden, and numerous neighborhood and river connections. By 2028, the first $30 million of improvements should create significant cultural, recreational, and social benefits and stimulate tens of millions in new development generating over $2 million incremental, annual tax revenue. Hitchcock Design Group and its team of market economics, whitewater, and engineering experts facilitated extensive, multi-channel community outreach, illustrated the strategy, and outlined a three-year action plan including an integrated series of policy, operational, and capital improvements.