People with disabilities will find easier access to the many events at Aurora’s RiverEdge Park this season.
The Illinois Office of Tourism has announced a Tourism Attraction Program Grant of $43,131 to the city of Aurora to assist in making RiverEdge Park more accessible to those with special needs.
The city of Aurora applied for the grant in February.
With the grant, the city will make improvements to the handicap entrance to RiverEdge, improve the seating for those using wheelchairs and almost double the number of handicap parking spaces available for activities at the park.
In addition, the grant also will allow the park to provide handicap-accessible, large golf carts to safely shuttle patrons with disabilities from the parking area on the east side of Broadway to the RiverEdge entrance on the west side. The golf carts will transport people who use wheelchairs, crutches, canes or have other infirmities from the parking area to the concert venue.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said the city applied for the grant after hearing from people with disabilities about what improvements could be made at the park.
City officials ran the idea past RiverEdge officials, as well as the city’s new Advisory Committee on Disabilities. At the new committee’s first meeting, several members said they had never been to RiverEdge because of the difficulties getting into the park for disabled people.
“The community spoke and we listened,” said Irvin. “These enhancements will be very much appreciated by all.”
The city actually applied for $50,000, which would have paid for about half of the accessibility upgrade project, estimated at $101,000.
The city will make up the difference for the improvements at the handicap entrance, Gate 2, at the northern end of the park along Broadway. Enhancements to the infrastructure include modifications of existing curbs and sidewalks to accommodate the handicap-accessible transport vehicles, and improvements to the physical gate to provide easy and secure access to guests that require wheelchairs or other assistance.
RiverEdge Park will also double the amount of its platforms from which patrons with disabilities can enjoy the concerts and other activities without getting caught up in the bustle of the concert crowd. There also will be one companion seat for every handicap space.
“Both the city’s and our goal is to always make the arts accessible to everyone,” said Tim Rater, president and CEO of the Paramount and RiverEdge Park. “The park has been fully (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible since it opened its doors, but this generous grant will allow us to further enhance the experience of those patrons with disabilities. We’re very grateful to the Illinois Office of Tourism for this support.”
The tourism grants are not given out each year, and had not been awarded for about four years.
Work on the projects will begin next month. The 2019 season at RiverEdge Park opens June 14 and 15 with Blues on the Fox.
