YORKVILLE — Construction crews are preparing to break ground this fall in downtown Yorkville as part of the city’s effort to secure a long-term water supply from Lake Michigan, a project with a price tag of roughly $100 million.

The upcoming excavation will focus on the east alley of the city’s Hydraulic District, stretching from just east of Bridge Street to between East Hydraulic Avenue and East Van Emmon Street. The work represents Yorkville’s share of the broader regional project undertaken with the DuPage Water Commission and neighboring municipalities Montgomery and Oswego.

While the overall project has seen cost overruns, Yorkville is determined to stay on schedule, with all infrastructure expected to be ready by 2027. This would ensure the first flow of Lake Michigan water reaches residents by 2028.

Public Works Director Eric Dhuse emphasized that the city has been deliberate in its planning to limit disruption downtown. “This project was bid separate from the larger water main replacement project that is taking place on the south side to ensure that we started late as possible in the year to not interfere with the outdoor dining in the east alley,” Dhuse said in city documents.

City leaders have stressed that outdoor dining at local businesses like Rowdy’s, 210 Bridge Street, will continue uninterrupted during construction — a reassurance for residents and business owners alike.

Before work begins, the Yorkville City Council must approve two contracts at its August 26 meeting: a $728,481 construction contract with Winninger Excavating, Inc., and a $92,085 engineering oversight contract with Engineering Enterprises, Inc.

The water main project downtown is also a precursor to something larger: a planned transformation of the Hydraulic District. Yorkville envisions a new public events plaza featuring a band shell, upgraded storefront facades, decorative pedestrian walkways, and landscaped gathering spaces. Officials hope the improvements will draw residents and visitors alike, while encouraging future mixed-use residential and commercial development near the Fox River.

However, before those enhancements can take shape, the city must first address an environmental remediation effort. Decades of industrial and agricultural activity have left contaminants in the soil, and cleanup is required before major redevelopment can proceed.

The Lake Michigan water sourcing project — one of Yorkville’s most ambitious infrastructure undertakings in recent memory — is not only about improving water quality but also about positioning the downtown for growth. Local leaders believe the combination of infrastructure upgrades, environmental clean-up, and public space revitalization will give downtown Yorkville a new identity by the end of the decade.

Originally reported by Joey Westo in Shaw Local.