SYCAMORE – Construction on a new $1 million public walking path is underway in southeast after receiving the green light from Ideal Industries stakeholders, officials said. Steve Henn, Ideal’s CEO, said members of the family that founded the industrial equipment supplier in Chicago before relocating to Sycamore a century ago approve of the walking path. The path will travel around a retention pond near the business’ campus along Borden Avenue and South Prairie Drive.
“It’s not just the Ideal business that’s supporting this, but it’s also the shareholder families. We are kicking in the majority of the money, but the family foundation, they’re also putting in some,” Henn said. “That’s part of their giveback to the community that’s supported them for 100 years.
They wanted to participate.” Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser said he appreciates what the company has brought to the community over the past century. “They’ve brought jobs, they’ve brought other businesses with them,” Braser said.
“They have been such a good neighbor, and just whatever they could do, they were always willing to do it. Really, really appreciate them. They’ve given back more ways to the city, too.
They’ve served on boards and commissions, and had so much to do with other things in town that are too numerous for me to even mention. They have just been a great partner. The Juday family has just more than stepped up.
We hardly ever ask them. They usually step up beforehand.” The future, park-like space is dubbed The Connector.
The space will have a 0.7-mile walking and biking loop compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, secondary trails, benches and ecological landscaping, including native trees and shrubs once it’s fully completed, according to . Once built, the walking and biking loop will circumnavigate a retention pond – a body of water that Henn said the company built decades ago after the area experienced flooding issues.
“There was a big flooding issue, and this was a way to solve that problem, so we did that and helped them out,” Henn said. “They helped us out when we need a building by getting us permits really fast, so it’s always been a good relationship.” It’s not the only new development in town made possible with help from Ideal.
In January, – across the road from where the walking path is being built – to the city of Sycamore for a proposed new Fire Station No. 1. “From our perspective, it was just the right thing to do,” Henn said.
“They needed a spot for a fire station. It helps out the business park and all the businesses in there, and all the residents around it, and we had the land available. So why not?” The approved the business’ request to be allowed to build the new walking path near the corner of Borden Avenue and South Prairie Drive five months after that donation.
Braser said he’s a fan of the new walking path. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “I mean, what a nice addition to the city and the neighborhood right there.
There’s one park across the street, but the people enjoy the walking paths. It’s safe. It’s nice for the pond and the area, and just for the community and how it will brighten that end of town.
” Henn said the first phase of the project was expected to be completed by early November but construction appeared to be behind schedule. Over the next three years the company will add secondary trails and benches. Ideal will be responsible for maintaining the landscaping surrounding the walkway for three years from the date of the walkway’s dedication.
When that provision expires the landscaping will be maintained by the city. “We’ve got a really good relationship with the city,” Henn said. “Over time, when they’ve had issues and needed our help, we’ve helped them, and when we’ve had issues and needed their help, they’ve helped us.
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