Sterling to break ground on new riverfront park with $300M Reimagined Project

STERLING – Sterling will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, for its yet-to-be-named riverfront park at 201 Wallace St.

The new park at the former Northwestern Steel and Wire Mill site is phase one of Sterling’s $300 million Riverfront Reimagined Project. The Sterling City Council on Sept. 16 awarded a $4.7 million bid for construction of a park shelter, restrooms, stage facility, playground, splash pad and plaza to Sjostrom and Sons Inc. of Rockford.

The council recently established naming guidelines for the park and other city-owned property after generating interest from possible financial investors.

The city expects the majority of the park’s construction will be done by June, with a tentative opening the following month.

In addition to the park, the Riverfront Reimagined plan could include an amphitheater, worker apartments, a hotel and events center, and a rooftop bar/restaurant for the four buildings at the Lawrence site. That could be followed by market-rate apartments, a fitness center and yet-to-be-determined uses of the National site.