ALTON – A public meeting to discuss a potential permanent flood wall in downtown Alton will be held in the Alton City Council chambers at City Hall at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
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The wall, expected to be approximately 1,050 feet long and up to 5 feet tall, would run along the north end of Broadway from William Street to Piasa Street.
The city is seeking public input on the project before it proceeds to the City Council for consideration and approval. The invitation from the city reads as follows:
“The City of Alton cordially invites the public to an open house meeting on the planned flood mitigation improvements within the downtown district. The purpose of the open house is to provide citizens with updated information regarding the project scope and proposed timeline.”
The flood wall project aims to protect buildings in the city’s downtown business district and industrial corridor. The area includes 45 buildings, 23 residential units, about 25 businesses, and more, with an Equalized Assessed Value of $2.47 million.
The permanent concrete flood wall would utilize a “hybrid” design, allowing its height to be extended during flood conditions by deploying a temporary flood plank wall. This temporary plank wall would extend the concrete wall’s flood protection by approximately three feet when needed.
The estimated cost of the flood wall currently stands at $4.15 million, according to a presentation prepared by the Alton Riverfront Advisory Commission. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a $2.9 million grant to the city for the project, which the city plans to match with $3 million from its TIF1 district.
The currently planned schedule, assuming the project gets City Council approval, calls for an anticipated construction date in October of 2025.
For more information about the downtown Alton flood wall project, see the Facebook event page for tonight’s meeting or see the Downtown Flood Mitigation Project page on the City of Alton website.
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