On December 20, 2001, the ribbon was cut on the Owens-Illinois Memorial at Alton Center Business Park officially opening it to the public. The memorial consists of artifacts from the former plant in a highly landscaped setting. The main walkway is paved with bricks and stones that honor the former employees of the plant.
Illinois Glass Company was founded in 1873 on Belle Street and moved to its Broadway location two years later. It later merged with the Owens Glass Company and grew to be a huge corporation with 140 plants around the world. The Alton plant was closed and abandoned by the company in 1993.
After years of negotiation, Clark Properties acquired the property in 2000 and immediately began its redevelopment. Over 1,000,000 square feet of buildings have been demolished, two buildings, a total of 450,000 square feet, have been renovated, and environmental remediation is on going.
Because of the long history of the Owens-Illinois plant and the close association that so many people in the Alton area had with the company, it was decided to create the memorial to remember the thousands of people who worked there over their 120-year history. Individuals, companies and organizations were offered the opportunity to participate by purchasing and engraving a stone or brick to become part of the walkway and a permanent part of the memorial. Almost 700 responded.
Over 300 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. Many others came to view the memorial on their own. “The Owens-Illinois plant was a huge part of the Alton area for many years, said Mike Clark, President of Clark Properties. We honor the many people who worked here and hope to return this property to its former vitality.”
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