The North Central Illinois Council of Governments assisted the city of Oglesby in obtaining $400,000 of Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant funds from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the development of Senica Square in the heart of downtown Oglesby.
The city will be matching the grant with $191,200 for a total project cost of $591,200.
In 2010, the city acquired this half-acre site that was once a dilapidated commercial building that has since been razed and converted into public green space.
The vision of the space is to offer universal access for a four-season community park capable of offering a wide range of active and passive recreation opportunities such as music and theatrical performances, picnicking, a water feature and ice skating.