CORE (Community Organization for Revitalization and Expansion) of McLean is a nonprofit 501(c)3 community group working to beautify McLean to build community pride, attract new residents and tourists, bolster the local economy, and improve the lives of residents. Established in 2011 through the WIU MAPPING program, CORE has worked with the Village to establish curbside recycling, a Village website and Facebook page, and many other projects, the most recent of which include the Get Your 6.6 on Route 66 annual run/walk, a mural and painted signs on a historic building in the square, three new welcome signs, an adopt-a-pot program (sponsored flower pots to decorate the town square), the new Water Tower Park under the old water tower, commemorative pavers for the park, and holiday tree lighting and caroling in the town square. Future plans include plant ID and park signs, vintage directional signs to attractions in town, and a community food forest and food preservation program.
