MT. VERNON (WMIX) – Mt. Vernon Mayor John Lewis delivered his State of the City Address Thursday from the DoubleTree Hotel where he announced the city will be working on a new year-round recreational center.

Despite battling with some vision issues Thursday, Mayor Lewis presented his annual speech, saying 2023 was a good year for the City, with new businesses, projects, and improvements.

Lewis noted new businesses have invested more than $100 million in the City of Mt. Vernon in the last seven years, allowing the City to complete more than $54 million in projects in this last Fiscal Year while maintaining seven to eight months of reserve funds.

The mayor presented a rundown of each municipal department’s performance statistics, along with the status of various projects. He also praised City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel and her staff for making sure projects get done.

He updated the status of the Interstate 57 Exit 95 bridge replacement, saying the project has been moved to 2026, and will be located just south of the current structure. He says all the ramps are now expected to be connected in 2027.

And the 44th Street Extension is expected to be completed this year. But the number one question the mayor says he’s asked is when Mt. Vernon will get a year-round recreation center.

The mayor was pleased to report after much studying, it’s believed a new facility can be built and maintained without a tax increase to the community but utilizing the new 3% Municipal Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax.