ROCHELLE — Rochelle residents filled city hall Thursday evening to get a glimpse of what local leaders envision for downtown Rochelle as part of a new branding effort to revitalize the area and transform it into an activity venue.

The presentation, given by Rochelle’s brand leadership team (BLT) and city staff, reflected the original ideas presented by Roger Brooks more than two years ago.

The main premise of the revitalization is to provide citizens and surrounding communities a place with music, food and a year-round public market with events planned up to 250 days per year.

More than 60 in attendance were presented with renderings of a public pavilion and plaza that would be situated along North Main Street and Fourth Avenue. Other renderings included the splash pad/ice rink area.

Architect Tiffany Danielle discussed the plans, revealing three phases of the project with a total price tag of somewhere between $7.7 million and $12.1 million dollars. The estimated figures include design services and a contingency dollar amount of 15 percent.

Danielle and the design team at Christy Webber Landscapes were given the task 18 months ago, beginning with observing and documenting the Rochelle history and the buildings in the downtown. Several steps and conceptual drawings were presented to the BLT which in turn provide input and suggestions to the plan.

Phases

The first phase would be the outdoor plaza, which would be the green space with several amenities including benches, walkways, lighting, and landscaping — estimated at $2.4 million to little over $4 million.

The second phase includes the outdoor pavilion, stage and Fourth Avenue streetscape ranging from $3.3 million to $5.1 million. The third phase includes the water feature and skating facilities ranging from $1.9 million to $2.9 million.

According to BLT members, funding for the projects could come from various sources, including public and private investments, sponsorships, individuals, and fundraising.

Next up

The BLT plans to present the renderings and give an update to several local groups. There is also discussion of scheduling public forums to garner the community’s opinion and feedback.

Mayor Chet Olson thanked the design team at Christy Webber Landscapes along with the Brand Leadership Team. He also remarked on the presentation and how he believes communities are embracing their downtown areas.

“It brings a whole new different look to the downtown…It’s exciting to see this happen and develop and I think it can bring a lot of things to our community,” Olson said. “I think communities are coming full circle. We used to go out to the shopping centers. Now I think communities are realizing they need to bring that focus back to downtown. We are looking forward to the public giving their thoughts. It’s not just about us putting this together. It’s about the community, and I think the community can wrap its arms around something like this.”