MACOMB, IL — The Macomb Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (MACVB) announced that it has been selected to receive a $40,000 grant from the Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant Program from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) as part of a $22.5 million investment for nearly 90 local tourism festivals and attractions across Illinois.
“MACVB is gratified to see the hard work being done to promote Unforgettable Forgottonia and our Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area with this grant. The stories being told are important and help to make Macomb an interesting and enjoyable destination!” stated MACVB Board Chair Dave Dorsett.
The $40k matching grant funding will be used to honor Monopoly game inventor Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie who was born in Macomb in 1866 and was a key feature of this season’s American Experience: Ruthless: Monopoly’s Secret History on PBS. The initial phase of the Unforgettable Forgottonia Monopoly Project will see the four corners of Macomb’s Historic Downtown Square displayed with unique sculptures that reflect Ms. Magie and her game.
The large sculptures, to be created locally by Gabe Stevens of Masterpiece Customs, will reflect the look and design of Monopoly’s silver game pieces which include giant sized Spinning Dice, an Abraham Lincoln Stovepipe hat, Magie’s Game Board and a life-sized sculpture of Lizzie Magie herself. It will also include the ability to play the game via an app around Macomb’s Downtown Square which remarkably resembles Lizzie’s original Monopoly game board.
The Macomb Unforgettable Forgottonia Monopoly Project’s committee members are Allen Nemec, Laura Swanson, Emily Sutton, Jock Hedblade, and Jan Armstrong. The project is slated for a late Spring 2024 unveiling to coordinate with Lizzie Magie’s birth date.
The $22.5 million in Illinois Tourism Attractions and Festivals grants provides funding to localities, organizations, and businesses for a broad range of tourism-related improvements, events and activities. This builds upon $10 million in funding through the first round of the grant program in 2022 that was provided to 40 localities across the state. Combined with Illinois’ largest ever tourism campaign, ‘Middle of Everything,’ Illinois is prioritizing investing in its thriving tourism industry while driving millions of visitors to choose Illinois for their next trip.
Macomb Mayor Mike Inman enthused, “We’re very proud our MACVB staff and Monopoly team put together this award winning grant proposal and eagerly anticipate the dedication of this wonderful project next Spring in downtown Macomb.”
MACVB Executive Director Jock Hedblade added, “We’re confident this one-of-a-kind project will not only honor one of Macomb’s favorite daughters and pioneering feminists, but serve as a driver for economic development by creating increased foot traffic to our historic downtown Square as well as being a significant state tourist attraction alongside our Looking For Lincoln Self-Guided Tour and Living Lincoln Topiary Monument.”
Through the $22.5 million investment, $5 million was reserved for festivals, which serve as economic drivers while bringing communities together, and $17.5 million will support a broad range of other tourism-related projects such as attractions, museums, live performance venues, and more. The Macomb Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s application was selected for an award through a competitive process, which required demonstrating how the award would help businesses in the surrounding area, as well as the project’s ability to attract visitors for overnight stays.
