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

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

A dedication ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, 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 2 p.m. 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.