Construction Begins on North Central College Riverwalk Park

Construction is underway on North Central College Riverwalk Park at 430 S. Washington St. in Naperville, marking the start of a project intended to create a new public-facing space between the DuPage River, Washington Street and the college campus.

The City of Naperville announced the project’s construction commencement June 16, 2026. A city newsletter published July 1 reported that work began in late May, so the approved records identify both the public announcement date and an earlier construction start window.

The project will change a North Central College-owned property along the Riverwalk into a planned park with paths, seating, landscaping and connections among several parts of the city. The college is developing the project with the City of Naperville and the Naperville Park District.

Planned Riverwalk connection

The park is designed to connect the south bank of the DuPage River, Washington Street and North Central College. That positioning gives the project a local infrastructure and public-space role: it is planned not simply as a college facility, but as a public-facing link between the Riverwalk corridor, downtown and the campus.

Plans call for an illuminated archway sign and a plaza highlighting North Central College’s academic and athletic history. Other planned features include seating areas, accessible walkways and native landscaping.

The available records describe a project under construction and list planned amenities. They do not confirm that the park is currently open to the public or provide an official opening date.

State and city funding

The project received $1.3 million from the State of Illinois. The remaining funding is coming from the City of Naperville’s Capital Project Fund.

The approved project information does not state the total cost of construction or the exact amount of the city’s contribution. That means the $1.3 million state award should be understood as one identified funding source, not the total price of the park.

The project is included in North Central College’s 2024 Master Land Use Plan and the Naperville Riverwalk 2031 Master Plan. Those documents place the work within longer-term planning for the college property and the Riverwalk system, while the construction now underway represents the project’s current implementation step.

Fall completion target

Construction was expected to finish in fall 2026, according to the city newsletter. That timing is subject to weather and unforeseen circumstances, so it is a projected completion window rather than a guaranteed date for the park to open.

For Naperville residents, the immediate change is activity at a college-owned site planned to become an accessible Riverwalk connection with public amenities. The next known milestone is the expected fall completion. A later official announcement would be needed to confirm that construction is finished and that the park is open for public use.