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North Central College will dedicate Riverwalk Gateway Oct. 27 during Homecoming

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Above / Riverwalk Gateway is set to connect North Central College to Fredenhagen Park.

North Central College invites the community to celebrate the dedication of the Riverwalk Gateway Oct. 27, 2012, as part of the College’s annual Homecoming Celebration. 

Photo courtesy of North Central College

A dedication ceremony will take place at 1PM Sat., Oct. 27, at the Riverwalk Gateway, located north of Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, 455 S. Brainard St. The ceremony will occur at the conclusion of the Homecoming Parade and before the 2PM  kickoff of the Homecoming football game vs. Illinois Wesleyan University.

The Riverwalk Gateway connects the College to Naperville’s Fredenhagen Park, located northeast of the Washington Street bridge over the DuPage River.

Funding for the Riverwalk Gateway improvements comes from many sources, including a grant from the State of Illinois’ Independent Colleges Capital Program, the North Central College senior gifts from the classes of 1961, 2004 and 2012, and a pledge of $500,000 from North Central College alumni James A. Bambule and Patricia Brady Bambule, members of the class of 1963.

The project is the result of a partnership among North Central College, the Naperville Park District, the Naperville Riverwalk Commission and the Riverwalk Foundation to improve pedestrian access and beautify the campus.

The Riverwalk Gateway includes stone pillars that mark the entryway to campus and a landscaped pathway along the east bank of the West Branch of the DuPage River next to Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Work on the Riverwalk Gateway began in June.

The College’s Legacy Project includes the Riverwalk Gateway and Sesquicentennial Walkway. Work continues on the Sesquicentennial Walkway, a pedestrian path that runs through the interior of campus between Benton and Jefferson avenues.

The dedication of the Riverwalk Gateway is part of the celebration of the College’s 2012 Homecoming Oct. 25-28. Public events include performances by Bernadette Peters and Sara Evans, documentary screening, a reunion party with dancing and entertainment, a parade and football game. Visit northcentralcollege.edu/homecoming to learn more.

Editor’s Note:  Positively Naperville cameras have captured the development of the Riverwalk Gateway during its 3-month construction adjacent to Fredenhagen Park. The handy “search” tool in the upper right of this page under the navigation bar will provide many photos of its development at the gateway not only to North Central College, but to downtown Naperville and the entire Riverwalk as it meanders westward toward the Jefferson Ave. Bridge.

Bronze plaques help identify generous contributions to North Central College.

During a recent visit to watch the progress of the Riverwalk Gateway, bronze plaques were being prepared for installation in the stone pillars in advance of the dedication on Oct. 27.

Shane Beard, owner of Fast Signs, noted the large North Central College plaques at the entrance weighed 180 pounds each.

Other smaller bronze plaques represent the generous contributions of alumni and other donors, he said.

“I’m thrilled to have contributed my small part to this gateway,” said Beard, as he looked forward to a full day of installing plaques. “What a great day to be outside on the Riverwalk.”

Thanks, North Central College and all citizens of Naperville for this natural treasure in the heart of downtown.

Ribbon is cut, Riverwalk Gateway Park is dedicated Oct. 27, 2012

Generous funding for the Riverwalk Gateway Park was given from North Central College alumni James A. Bambule and Patricia Brady Bambule, members of the class of 1963. (PN Photo)

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North Central College
North Central Collegehttp://www.northcentralcollege.edu
North Central College provides students with the confidence, instruction and direction they need to exceed their personal best inside and outside of the classroom and throughout their careers. Founded in 1861 and located just 28 miles west of Chicago in the Historic District of Naperville, Ill. — named among the nation’s “Best Places to Live” by Money magazine — North Central is home to more than 2,800 students and offers 82 undergraduate majors, 67 additional undergraduate minors and concentrations, and 22 graduate degree and graduate certificate programs. Visit northcentralcollege.edu to discover why U.S. News & World Report has named North Central a “Best in the Midwest” school for 29 years in a row, and to learn more about the College’s state-of-the-art facilities and distinctive programs, particularly in the sciences and business.
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