By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Thirty years ago, the path along the DuPage River was an overlooked expanse of land. Today it is known as the Riverwalk, and is the thriving center of Naperville. The city’s “crown jewel” may never have materialized if not for the vision of three men: architect Charles George, construction manager Hal Dickson, and former Riverwalk Commission chairman Frank Allston.

Riverwalk visionary moves to Monarch Landing
The Riverwalk visionaries paid a visit to Monarch Landing to share the inside story on how the enormous project grew from an idea to a reality over the course of several years.

Frequent on-site presentations like this one give Monarch Landing community members the opportunity for intimate discussions with speakers from a variety of backgrounds—from authors to politicians to musicians.

Allston and his wife, both long-time Naperville residents, plan to move to Monarch Landing this month.

“We just heard about Monarch Landing last year, and we were so impressed by all of the people who lived here,” Allston says. 

1981 marked Naperville’s 150th birthday. That was the same year Allston was asked by then Mayor Rybicki to serve as the chairman of the Riverwalk Commission, which gave him the gargantuan task of raising money to fund the redevelopment of the site.

“There were challenges,” Allston says, “but people rose to meet those challenges.”

Naperville residents build a ‘gift for themselves’
Dickson, a Naperville resident and owner of Hal Dickson Construction Management, says he remembers fondly the years he spent building the Riverwalk.

“There was so much of people giving of themselves because they were a part of the Naperville community—it was a gift to themselves.”

George says he still gets joy when he sees a wedding party or children feeding ducks at the Riverwalk.

“This is our legacy,” he says. “Some architects build high rises, we built this.”