Kankakee River State Park campground remains closed after 8 years of construction, delays
CHICAGO (CBS) – The unofficial end of summer is approaching as another Labor Day is about to pass with a state-run campground closed.
CBS 2 thought previous reports about the shuttered site in Bourbonnais would be over in 2021. The state said then that everything should be wrapped up that year.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory found out why that never happened.
From the shady trees to a calm wind and the sounds of nature, the Kankakee River State Park is ripe for relaxation, but things at Chippewa Campground are a little too quiet.
A project to overhaul the water system wrapped up last year. It took the state seven years to complete, and even though construction ended there in August 2022, the site is still closed.
On a recent visit, CBS 2 saw a bulletin board advertising an event from 2015. The board has been unused for so long that wasps have made a home there.
"I'm not blaming anybody, but that is just so sad," said Ken Plecki, during an April 2019 interview.
CBS 2 spoke with the avid camper when he first raised concerns about the prolonged closure of Chippewa Campground. A busted water pump forced the shutdown in 2015.
"I said, 'OK, one season. I can deal with that,'" Plecki said.
But four seasons in, CBS 2 was told the state budget impasse delayed the project.
By May 2021, "COVID-19 and resource constraints" were to blame, though the state estimated clean water might be ready for campers for "the later part of the summer." CBS 2 shared the update with Plecki then.
"That's a lot of news!" he said. "That's a lot to absorb."
His excitement didn't last.
Two months later, CBS 2 received another timeline update that the project was "scheduled to be completed by the end of this year [2021]."
But in 2023, a link to make a reservation didn't work this week because the campsite was still not ready.
David and Linda Canada have logged lots of camping memories across the U.S.
Victory: "Any guesses how long Chippewa's been closed now?"
David: "My guess is five to six years."
Victory: "It's been eight."
David: "Really? Time flies."
They'd prefer to set up shop at Chippewa, not at a sister site called Potawatomi.
"We liked it over there," Linda said. "We liked it over there for a reason, because of the size of the sites and how beautiful it was over there."
David added, "This started eight years ago. That's long before COVID, and I just call it mismanagement."
It's criticism Kankakee River State Park employees are used to hearing. They receive calls daily asking about Chippewa's fate.
"What is the hold up?" Linda said. "Why?"
This time, it's due to water testing. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said crews have spent the past year collecting samples from the new well water system.
Satisfactory results finally came through in the past month. Once again, CBS 2 was told it'll be just a little longer until camping returns to the site.
The final step that needs to happen at Chippewa is a state health inspection. It could be scheduled as soon as this week.
The eight-year closure impacts state revenue. CBS 2's previous reports uncovered the campground generated tens of thousands of dollars each year when it was open.
