Business View Civil and Municipal | February 2021

44 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL FEBRUARY 2021 During the pandemic, Lemont thrived. The Village gave businesses COVID-19 relief grants and supplied tables, tents, and other accessories for restaurants to provide outdoor dining, which is something Egofske believes helped the downtown stay strong. He notes, “Where maybe in the past you’d think twice about allowing tables and tents to expand out into the village, it happened right away because this was by need. And it’s something in the future we’ll have to think about continuing because it made the downtown look alive on weekends and during the week for lunch and dinner. It was really a cool thing to see.” The village is also working with the Lemont Park District and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) to lease and reclaim a 27-acre parcel of land to create a green space park incorporating native plants. And they have plans in the works to create a trail head and more trails in the next few years. Looking to the future, the Village of Lemont hopes to continue cultivating its recreation destination status and connecting the downtown to The Forge with signage and trails to encourage people to visit downtown and to make the 27-acre park a welcoming destination, as well. In Lemont, there’s so much to look forward to. PREFERRED VENDOR n The Forge: Lemont Quarries www.forgeparks.com The Forge is built around three foundational pillars - Exhilarate, Entertain, Educate. Not only are we dedicated to offering exhilarating and entertaining experiences but we’re also passionate about creating authentic corporate events and team development programs. With 300 acres, The Forge has the opportunity to create an immersive and engaging event space, working to create programs and events that achieve meaningful outcomes for guests.