ALTON, Ill. – Is the Alton sinkhole getting bigger or is there an illusion in Illinois? Many questions remain unanswered about the sinkhole that formed at Gordon Moore Park at the end of June.
Mayor David Goins was preparing for the city hall meeting when FOX 2 visited his office Monday. However, his representative said that once they have more information, which is currently out of their hands, then they’ll be able to look at all the different ways to move forward.
There has been speculation that the sinkhole is getting bigger, but officials claim that it is the same size it has been. The debris from the original collapse is just continuing to settle underneath, giving the illusion that it’s growing but there has been no further collapsing.
Illinois Congresswoman Budzinski told FOX 2 in a statement, which reads in part:
“I’ve been working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see what we can do from a federal perspective to identify risks in our communities and address them. I’m looking forward to meeting with the Mine Safety and Health Administration about the situation in Alton and plan to introduce legislation on this issue very soon.”
The Alton sinkhole and the closure of the Belleville, Ill., Ruler Foods store due to mine subsidence in September 2023 catalyzed Representative Budzinski to advocate for this stronger legislation. While the total economic impact and reasons for why this happened still hang in the air, Alton pushes on.
Though the negative social impact is undeniable as local soccer and football teams are still left without a field or the funds to play somewhere else.
“[The youth athletes] thrive with the support of the community, so us having a home field gives access to grandma and grandpa being able to come out and see them play. And them having a place where they can claim ownership to… It’s important that we make sure we’re able to do that for them,” Tony Davis, president of the Alton Renegades youth football team, said.
The Alton Renegades still need around $10,000 to rent another home field in order to remain registered within their league—money that coach Davis says is still way out of his team’s reach.
To donate to the team, click here.
