|
|
|
Great Western Trail Project
Improvements to the Great Western Trail from Addison Road to Villa Avenue, included the installation of fifty-six pedestrian lights, the widening of the path in several places, path connector between the Great Western Trail and the Prairie Path, signage, landscaping and murals.
- Harvard Ave. Tot Lot – Playground equipment and drinking fountain.
- Ardmore CA&E Station, 10 W. Park – Built in 1910 to serve the new Ardmore Subdivision. The structure is one of three original CA&E stations still remaining and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1927. It is currently the home of Villa Park's Chamber of Commerce.
- Villa Ave. CA&E Station, 220 S. Villa Ave.- This tudor-style station was built in 1929 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Now the home of the Villa Park Historical Society Museum and Illinois Prairie Path Visitor Center. Exhibits housed in the Museum include CA&E history, Ovaltine history and memorabilia and the history of Villa Park.
- Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot, built in 1926, now houses Villa Park's Men Garden Club's greenhouse.
- Villa Park Village Hall, 20 S. Ardmore Ave., was built in 1929.
Illinois Prairie Path:
Follows the former 45 miles of right-of-way of the electric-powered Chicago, Aurora and Elgin (CA&E) Railroad and carried passengers and freight between Chicago and the Fox River Valley from 1902 until 1957. In 1971, the path was designated a recreational trail and became Illinois's first designated recreational trail.
Western Trail:
The track was constructed in 1886-87 and has been converted to a 12- mile linear recreational trail ending in West Chicago.
|
|
 Arts Friendly Community Awards
The Village of Villa Park was recognized at the Illinois Municipal League Conference (IML) for receiving a 2005 Arts Friendly Community Award from the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation. The village received this award for the Great Western Trail Mural Project. This project was coordinated and funded through the Joyce Stupegia and Richard Illian Community Projects Fund. This award allows our community to use the designation, "An arts friendly community." |
| Great Wall of Villa Park Mural — Mural unveiling July 16, 2004 |
|
|
Photo from left to right
Villa Park Police Chief John Payne
Trustee Joyce Stupegia - Project Coordinator
Trustee Richard Illian
Village Manager Robert Niemann.
|
| The 2,000-square-foot mural is located on a cement wall along the Great Western Trail east of Villa Avenue behind Villa Park Materials Co.
The mural was painted by students at College of DuPage, the class instructor was Alberto Aguilar.
|
|
| The Village was successful in obtaining a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and a federal grant from the Surface Transportation Project to pay for the majority of the $433,284 cost of these improvements. The Great Western Trail Project is a cooperative effort between DuPage County and the Village of Villa Park and involves a cost sharing of the local match required to receive these grants. |
 |
The Village of Villa Park and DuPage County hosted a Groundbreaking Ceremony for their new trail project on Monday, February 10, 2003 in Villa Park. Village President Rae Rupp Srch, Village Trustees Larry Dean, Joyce Stupegia, Richard Illian and Mary Murphy, and County Board Members Tom Bennington, Irene Stone and Yolanda Campuzano led the ceremony.
(Photo from left to right: Village Trustees Larry Dean and Joyce Stupegia, Village President Rae Rupp Srch, Village Trustees Richard Illian and Mary Murphy, County Board Member Thomas Bennington, County Trails Coordinator Deborah Fagan, County Board Members Irene Stone and Yolanda Campuzano)
|
Related Links:
Bicycling in Villa Park
Dasani Blue Bikes Program |
|
bookmark
print
email