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Dear Friend,
Ottawa is now a College Town! Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Late last year, the City of Ottawa and Illinois Valley Community College signed an historic agreement creating the first satellite campus in the 87 year history of IVCC – the IVCC Ottawa Center. I want to commend the Ottawa City Council, IVCC President Jerry Corcoran and the IVCC Board of Trustees for their commitment to the expansion of the educational opportunities available to residents of Ottawa, Streator, Marseilles, Seneca, Earlville and throughout eastern LaSalle County. This was truly a visionary action on their part and the beginning of a new partnership with IVCC which I strongly believe will provide a great many benefits to the people of Ottawa in years to come.
The City of Ottawa purchased the Ottawa Center building from Centrue Bank in early March and is now in the process of renovating it to house the IVCC educational program. The renovation is moving forward quickly as the IVCC Ottawa Center opens on August 18 for the Fall semester. Until the renovation is completed, registration for the Fall semester is being held at Ottawa City Hall. Interested students need to sign up soon as I hear classes are quickly filling.
I need to take a moment to thank Centrue Bank for being a great corporate citizen of Ottawa and an absolutely essential partner in the IVCC Ottawa Center project. Not only did Centrue agree to sell the building to the City for a price far below its appraisal value, it also donated almost all the office furniture in the building to the City of Ottawa and IVCC – saving taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Although we hope the expected success of the IVCC Ottawa Center will soon result in the expansion of the IVCC educational program offered there, already students have access to a great many courses (check them out at www.ivcc.edu/ottawa). For example, Ottawa students planning to attend IVCC for two years and then transfer to a four year university may take all of the general education courses they need to transfer without leaving the City of Ottawa.
A large number of exciting and interesting continuing education courses will also soon be announced. What a wonderful benefit for Ottawa – convenient access to IVCC’s high quality and very affordable educational opportunities – and I have not even emphasized the expected economic boost to downtown Ottawa. As the IVCC ads say about the new Ottawa Center – “No place so close….is now even closer!”
Sincerely,
Robert Eschbach
Mayor City of Ottawa
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Ottawa Riverfest Celebration Begins July 28th |
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The 45th Annual Welcomeburger sponsored by the Ottawa Area Chamber on July 28 launches the pinnacle summer event in Ottawa -- the annual Ottawa
Riverfest Celebration.
...read more |
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Illinois Valley Community College Comes to Ottawa
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| After nearly a year of site selection and discussion activity, the Ottawa City Council and the IVCC Board of Trustees passed and signed an agreement late last year to create the IVCC Ottawa Center – the first satellite campus in the 87 year history of IVCC ...read more |
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City of Ottawa Pursues Major Infrastructure Projects
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Puts Federal Stimulus Funds to Good Use – Saves Millions in
Local Taxes
The first significant upgrade in 40 years, this $9 million project will restore some treatment processes, install new and improved processes, make the facility much more energy efficient and
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Heritage Harbor Ottawa Retools – Moving Forward Again
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| Given the deep recession which hit the real estate market two years ago, it is remarkable that Heritage Harbor Ottawa (HHO), the marina resort being developed on the eastern edge of Ottawa, is still in existence – a great many of its former colleagues in the real estate business are not. ...read more |
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Ottawa Garden and Botanical Arts Brand Update
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Gardening and Botanical Arts Moving Forward
The summer of 2009 saw the City of Ottawa begin to put into effect its Gardening and Botanical Arts Brand for downtown Ottawa with the streetscaping of the 700 block of LaSalle Street. This Brand was recommended by Destination Development, Inc., an international consultant located in Seattle, in the Fall of 2008 ...read more |
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Ottawa Leads Effort to Bring High Speed Broadband
Access to LaSalle
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Partners with North Central Illinois Council of Governments to
file $19 million grant application
The City of Ottawa and the North Central Illinois Council of Governments are leading the effort to bring unrestricted, high speed broadband at reasonable prices to LaSalle County. The vehicle is the LaSalle County Broadband Initiative (LCBI) which ...read more |
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Beautification Efforts Spread Downtown
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Spurred by Work of Volunteer Gardeners
While the most dramatic and obvious beautification of Downtown Ottawa is occurring in the streetscaping of LaSalle Street, visitors should also take note of the many other beautiful flower and plant beds and designs throughout the Downtown. ...read more |
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Ottawa Township High School Wins State Music
Championship Again
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Continues State Dominance with 14th Consecutive Championship
Under the able leadership of Roger Amm, Choral Director for 29 years, and Sarah Reckmeyer, Band Director for 21 years, Ottawa Township High School (OTHS) has added ...read more |
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City of Ottawa Wins Historic Preservation Grant
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Prepares to Launch Downtown Ottawa Historic Restoration Program
Downtown Ottawa benefits from the presence of many historic buildings – some dating back to pre-Civil War times. These buildings, once attractively restored, have the potential when combined with the beautiful flower and plant beds emerging throughout the Downtown to produce the kind of ambiance sure to attract many visitors to Downtown Ottawa. ...read more |
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For more information about Ottawa:
Reed Wilson, Director of Economic Development
City of Ottawa, 301 West Madison Street, Ottawa, Illinois 61350
Office - 815/433-0161, ext. 21 · Fax - 815/433-2270 · ecdev@cityofottawa.org |
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