Sterling bank donates $100,000 for veterans memorial at city’s new riverfront park

STERLING — Sterling Federal Bank is helping the city invest in the future.

On Friday, Nov. 8, SFB President Dean Ahlers presented Riverfront Commission members Heather Sotelo, Terry McGuire and Josh Johnson with a $100,000 check to be used for a veterans memorial at the city’s new riverfront park.

“The work Sterling Riverfront Foundation is putting into our community is remarkable,” Ahlers said in a news release. “The redevelopment of the riverfront will serve families for years to come. Sterling Federal Bank is proud to be part of this project as we are committed to helping our communities thrive.”

Sotelo said although there are no naming rights associated with the donation it will still be classified in a way to reflect how SFB’s donation made the memorial possible. However, she said the donation would put SFB on the park’s donor wall.

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 the construction of a park shelter, restrooms, stage facility, playground, splash pad and plaza to Sjostrom and Sons Inc. of Rockford.

Sterling held a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 1, for its yet-to-be-named riverfront park at 201 Wallace St. 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.