130 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 up to 7,000 people. This location showcases larger community happenings such as Fiesta Days, Bands Brews and BBQ, and concerts put on by the Rise Up Foundation. As the newest community hub, Miller Point has a pavilion area for concerts, although much more intimate, along with a lighted splash pad and skating rink, for seasonal family outdoor fun. With a full calendar of events throughout the year, including the much loved ShamROCKS the Fox St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Morefield acknowledges, “Our community really eats up those public gathering spots and attends events regularly in McHenry. It’s not just the Friday, Saturday, Sunday downtown activities. All week something is going on downtown and there always seems to be activity in our businesses, which is just fantastic.” Diversifying Housing Options With continued growth on the horizon, McHenry recognizes the importance of diversifying its housing options to cater to the different needs and demographics within the community, from retaining those residents who want to downsize and stay in the city, to providing workforce and affordable options for new residents. “We had a study done on our vacancy rate, and we were full,” Martin recounts. “To attract and keep people in the community, we knew we needed workforce housing. We have a large manufacturing base. People want to stay in the community, they want to come back into the community, and we want to fit all types of families, and all types of ages in the community. So, we have various projects that have started to come to the city as a result of that study.” To address the demand, several projects have been initiated, including the Authentix McHenry development, which will bring 288 market-rate rental apartments to the community, marking the first new rental housing construction in nearly two decades. A workforce housing project planned for the city’s downtown aims to provide 54 units geared
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