The 100 block of South Marion has been in a state of deconstruction for months, with the streets covered in dust and inaccessible by car. But local business leaders are hoping to lure pedestrians back to the shuttered strip — with the allure of playing on a construction vehicle.
The Village of Oak Park is investing some $5.4 million to give the street a facelift, complete with brick streets and granite sidewalks, and won’t finish work until Thanksgiving. With the headache of constant construction, village hall is also throwing $34,000 into the pot to help promote the newly renamed “Pleasant District.”
As part of that, the block is holding a “Touch a Truck” event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. There, kids can play in sand, climb on construction trucks, and nibble some cookies, according to a Pleasant District press release. Face painting, crafts and live music from the pre-teen band “South Oak Park Rockers” will also liven up South Marion for a couple of hours Saturday morning.