Utica has obtained the land, but development won’t begin until spring 2024.
Village President David Stewart has postponed an open house for the public to see the designs for ‘The Shoppes at Mill Street Market. Stewart is anticipating an early November event so the public can see more specific and detailed plans.
History and Market Details
With the North Central Illinois Council of Governments (NCICG) assistance, in 2022, a Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Grant of a little over $1.2 million grant was awarded to Utica. Combined with more than $200,000 in local funds, the Stewart and the village board proposed ‘The Shoppes at Mill Street Market.’
Twelve 12’x12’ with a four-foot porch portable retail stalls will use the area directly north of the 2004 Tornado Memorial at the northwest edge of the downtown area where a parking lot exists. Retailers would lease the stalls from May to December. If the shops become a popular attraction, there is room to add additional stalls.
After the tornado, would-be developers were uncertain of the flood-prone Clark’s Run to the north, so preliminary plans include a faux stone retaining wall to protect the Market in case of a Clark’s Run flash flood. The village, looking into developing the area, investigated outdoor retail outlets in Muskegon, Michigan, and Batavia, IL.