Antioch village officials are enlisting the help of residents in naming its new downtown park under construction near the historic downtown area. An online survey is being used to gather input for the site, which broke ground last July.
The triangular 4.5-acre parcel bordered by Main, Orchard, and Depot streets is aiming for a completion point in mid-summer. The park features many recreational amenities including a walking path following the waterway’s course, a crossover pedestrian footbridge, a splash pad, and a pavilion area.
“The heart of a community lies in its ability to shape its shared spaces,” said Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner. “Our parks serve as gathering places where memories are made, and bonds are formed. By inviting resident feedback in this process, we are not only honoring our community’s history and values, but also ensuring all voices are heard. I’m excited to see the ideas generated by our community members.”
The Sequoit Creek culvert and corrugated piping collapsed with remedial work begun last August. The creek and grounds were covered over in the early 1970s. (Gregory Harutunian)
The property itself came into the village holdings, as the result of a previous online survey that sought responses on what items the community wanted to see in the downtown area. Antioch purchased the property for $110,000 in 2020, with an eye toward open space development.
Dormant for decades, the property once contained Pittman Motors as a commercial site on the downtown’s at its north end.. Sequoit Creek was covered over, with the waterway being diverted through a corrugated pipe under Depot Street to the Bill Brook Memorial Wetland and Conservation Area. The culvert and piping collapsed several years ago.
Remedial work encompassing the pipe removal, dredging, and soil removal became the priority, as well as initial steps. Lake County Stormwater Management secured a $2.75 million grant from the state of Illinois for the restoration of the creek. The $12.7 million overall cost was aided by $1.9 million in federal American Recovery Plan Act funding.
The remaining costs will be paid through general obligation bonds being funded through the village’s state sales tax allotment.
“Throughout the process of redeveloping this once blighted piece of property, the village has maintained the importance of resident input into the design and direction of this park development,” said Geoffrey Guttschow, Antioch’s interim village administrator. “It has been important to members of the village board to keep residents in the driver’s seat. We invite residents to participate in this process.”
With the Brook Conservancy Area, Brook Entertainment Complex (Antioch Bandshell) and historic downtown area in proximity to the nearly completed park, visitors can engage in walking tours to many destination points of interest.
Ainsley Wonderling, the Lakes Region Historical Society’s director, noted her father was Bill Brook, part of a seventh-generation Antioch family who love the village. “The wetlands and bandshell are a fitting tribute and focal point, easily seen by those who visit or drive by.
“I love the idea of the village having a contest to name the new park,” she said. “I would hope the winner will incorporate the name ‘Seqouit’ since there is a historic context to the name. Many of the village’s early settlers came from upstate New York and were very familiar with Sequoit Creek. They brought the name with them, and it is uniquely Antioch.”
A link to the survey to name the park can be found on the village’s website, antioch.il.gov, and continues until April 7.
