11-17-2025 City Council Highlights

FREEPORT, IL —Highlights from the November 17, 2025 Freeport City Council meeting include the approval of four property demolitions and improvements coming to South Street in 2026.

Four Property Demolitions

The demolition and asbestos abatement of four properties was approved by council and will be funded by the FEMA Floodway grant program and the Neighbor Housing Fund and is in line with the Strategic Plan of supporting a Safe and Inclusive Community as well as Effective Land Use. Fischer Excavating will perform three of the demolitions while Alber & Son Earthworks will perform one.

(Properties pictured in order: 602-608 E. Stephenson St., 28 S. Johanna Ave., 29 S. Johanna Ave., 120 S. Rose Ave.)

South Street Project

By the Fall of 2026, South Street will see 16 new ADA ramps at intersections such as Walnut Avenue and Locust Avenue as South Street will be repaved from Locust to Galena Avenue.

The City approached IDOT with creative solutions to find a resolution for the quality concerns regarding South Street pavement. City of Freeport officials and IDOT staff have reached a tentative agreement for a South Street pavement upgrade. City staff committed to designing, permitting, bidding and reconstructing the 16 ADA ramps in the corridor to IDOT and PROWAG standards by the end of July 2026. In turn, IDOT will commit the street funding to a 3.75” mill and asphalt overlay of the South Street corridor from Locust to Galena in the fall of 2026.

Other News

The first reading of the FY2026 Appropriation Ordinance took place Monday night.

More information about these topics and more can be found in the City Council meeting packet, viewable here: LINK TO AGENDA

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