Flood Risk To Recede With Construction Of Park City Stormwater Project

PARK CITY, IL — Construction on a long-awaited infrastructure improvement to reduce flooding in Park City kicked off Wednesday with a ceremonial groundbreaking.

The Park City Stormwater Capital Improvement project will reduce the risk of flooding for more than 800 properties in an area of community located at the headwaters of the Skokie River, which increases the risk of flooding and prioritized grant funding for the project, according to county officials.

During the July 2017 floods in Lake County, nearly two dozen, mostly residential, buildings suffered structural damage, officials said. Main roads in the area have been repeatedly closed because of flooding, with Washington Street closed by flooding eight times in the past five years.

“Increasing rain levels in our area have broken records and caused millions of dollars in damage to properties, in addition to obstructing the lives of Lake County residents and visitors,” said Kurt Woolford, executive director of the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, or SMC.

“SMC’s goal is to never see our County’s residents suffer again like they did during the 2017 flood event,” Woolford said.

The Park City infrastructure project is set to include the installation of large box culverts, storm sewer system upgrades extending south from Illinois Route 120 to the Greenbelt Forest Preserve and the replacement of the stormwater system restrictor plate at the Casmir Pulaski Drive culvert.

“This project will ease some of the impacts that residents in this area have endured,” said Angelo Kyle, the Lake County Board member for District 14. “I’m so glad that through collaboration with our state and local partners, we can ease the financial hardship that comes with flood damage to the residents who own homes and businesses located in this floodplain.”

Funding for the project comes from the first $30 million of a total of $122 million in funding for Lake County stormwater projects, which was allocated in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and is distributed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Park City is contributing less than $43,000 of the total cost of the project.

Future Lake County stormwater projects planned include Antioch, Grayslake, Highland Park, Warren Township and Waukegan.

Related: 'Once-In-A-Generation': Millions Headed To Lake County Stormwater Projects