ALTON, Ill. – A massive sinkhole that opened in Alton’s Gordon Moore Park nearly a year ago is now even larger and still untouched.

Next month marks one full year since the ground first gave way, and the gaping hole remains a safety concern for residents and city officials. 

Alton Mayor David Goins says delays in planning can be partly attributed to the recent election season and the swearing in of new local leaders.

“What’s going on with the sinkhole? When’s it going to be filled?” Goins said folks are asking him. “And that’s a hard answer to give, like just a solid concrete answer, like we’re gonna have it done by such and such date. It’s just not doable at this time.”

The park is open, and surrounding facilities like the golf course and baseball diamonds are active again, but the soccer fields where the sinkhole remains are closed. 

Visitors say the fenced-off area serves as a constant reminder of the hazard.

“You feel the blast and it shakes the bleachers a little bit. It makes you think about it every single time and you hope nothing’s happening,” said a grandmother watching her son play high school baseball at Gordon Moore Park.

After heavy rain earlier this year, the sinkhole temporarily filled with water, raising new questions about the safety of the ground below.

“To have it hold water is a really good thing as far as no seepage,” Goins said. “Which means there’s some stability there. It’s not going all the way underground.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called in federal investigators to assist with the issue, but nearly a year later, the hole is still a hazard. 

Plans to address it have yet to be made public.

“There are some plans moving forward,” Goins said. “We’re hopeful to be able to release that info in totality, but for now we’re just not able to.”

The land beneath the sinkhole is part of a mining operation. New Frontier Materials owns the mine under Gordon Moore Park that stretches for miles. 

The company did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.