Home

Search

Browse

About IPO

Staff

Links

Gov. Jim Edgar announced more than $9.2 million in grants for 60 projects throughout the state to acquire and enhance park lands for Illinoisans.

"These grants are helping to fund diverse projects ranging from the acquisition of a network of neighborhood parks to protection of high-quality natural areas," the Governor said. "Because local communities share half the cost of the projects, the total commitment toward outdoor enjoyment is more than $18.4 million."

Seventeen acquisition projects and 43 development projects will be funded by $8.3 million in state Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants and $900,000 in federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON) grants. The programs are administered by the Department of Conservation, and the funds must be used for parks and outdoor recreation projects.

Nearly 600 acres of land will be acquired through the grants, including more than 430 acres of natural areas, some of which provide habitat to endangered and threatened species. Twenty-one of the development projects create totally new recreational facilities for their communities.

Both grant programs provide up to 50 percent reimbursement of eligible costs incurred by local governments for approved recreational land acquisition and development work.

Conservation Director Brent Manning said the Department received 95 applications seeking more than $12 million in grant assistance.

OSLAD has been in existence since 1986, and including the grants announced this week, has provided $42 million for local park projects. The program is funded by a dedicated percentage of the real estate transfer tax.

Financed through federal funds, LAWCON has been in existence since 1965 and has made $132.4 million available for state and local park projects in Illinois.

Maximum grant awards are $400,000 for acquisition projects and $200,000 for development projects. Twenty-four of the projects received the maximum amount for either acquisition or development.

To qualify for a grant from either program, an agency must show a need for the project and the ability to carry it through to completion. Other factors include the agency's record in maintaining its other facilities, the degree of local planning involved and the project's ability to address regional and statewide outdoor recreation priorities.

Local governments interested in applying for grants for the coming year should submit applications by July 1.

Program information and grant forms are available by contacting the Department of Conservation, Division of Grant Administration, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701-1787 or by calling 217/782-7481, TDD 217/782-9175.

A list of grant recipients, funding amounts and project descriptions follows.

(A stands for acquisition and D stands for development)

(D) Village of Algonquin, $200,000, to develop a new park site, High Hill Park, located in a new residential area, with soccer fields, a shelter, a bike path, interpretive trails and observation stations, picnic areas, a fully accessible playground and a sand volleyball pit.

(D) Arlington Heights Park District, $200,000, to develop an outdoor athletic field complex consisting of four lighted soccer/ball fields. Support facilities include restrooms, parking, bleachers and benches.

(D) Village of Belle Rive, $7,500. to develop the village's first community park, consisting of a baseball diamond, playgroumd, picnic shelter and tables, walking trail and restroom building.

(LAWCON) (A) City of Belleville, $37,500, to acquire 17.3 acres of land adjacent to the north side of Pleasant Hill Park which will be developed for both active and passive recreational use.

(D) Belvidere Park District, $200,000, to develop a 7-acre riverfront property with a fully accessible fishing pier, boat docks, picnic shelters with tables, a playground and about 1,000 linear feet of recreation pathway to connect with the existing 1.5-mile pathway system and bridge spanning the Kishwaukee River.

(D) Village of Buffalo, $84,500, to develop additional facilities at an existing park site. Facilities will include a walking/jogging trail, basketball court, playground, picnic area and concession building.

(A) Chicago Park District, $400,000, to acquire 2.3 acres to develop a network of three neighborhood parks. These parks will improve recreational opportunities for both the North Kenwood and Oakland communities on Chicago's south side. The parks are approximately 1/4 mile apart.

(A) Cook County Forest Preserve District, $400,000, to acquire 16.54 acres of land adjacent to the district's McGinnis Slough Preserve. The parcel is an important link to the 285-acre Tampier Lake Greenway.

(D) Cook County Forest Preserve District, $200,000, to renovate Whelan Pool and the existing bath house. The pool will be renovated with a zero-depth feature to make it accessible to people of all abilities.

(D) Crystal Lake Park District, $200,000, to develop Lippold Park with a restroom facility, water well, electrical service, driving range and baseball field lighting, a picnic shelter and landscaping.

(D) Village of Dana, $9,000, to develop a lighted combination tennis/basketball court and improve accessibility to the restroom building and picnic shelter at Cinnamon Memorial Park.

(A) Village of Danvers, $8,500, to acquire three lots that will be developed with tennis courts.

March 1994 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21

(D) Downers Grove Park District, $200,000, to develop a passive/active community park with play equipment, picnic shelters, a walking/jogging trail, multi-purpose playfields, ice skating ponds and a sled hill.

(A) Dundee Township Park District, $400,000, to acquire 50 wooded acres in Carpentersville for the purposes of preserving and interpreting the site and developing hiking/cross-country skiing trails.

(D) City of Elgin, $200,000, to develop additional facilities at the Elgin Sports Complex. The project includes eight soccer/football fields, a new fully accessible playground, 1 mile of bicycle path and a shelter with restrooms.

(D) Village of Elkville, $16,000, to further develop the community park with a picnic area, fully accessible restrooms, lights for the existing ball fields, a parking area and asphalt walkway.

(D) Village of Erie, $40,000, to further develop Heritage Park with play equipment, basketball court, ball diamond, a new restroom facility and landscaping.

(D) City of Eureka, $200,000, to expand Lake Eureka Park with baseball diamonds, a football/soccer field, playground, hiking/hiking trails and additional restroom facilities.

(D) City of Evanston, $42,000. to renovate Baker Park with fully accessible play equipment and resurface a pathway which will connect to the existing playground equipment and shelter within the park.

(D) Village of Fisher, $66,800, to develop additional facilities at Fisher Village Park including a baseball field, soccer field, parking lot with basketball court, a pathway system and a concession stand.

(D) Glen Ellyn Park District, $50,000, to develop new fully accessible playgrounds in both Ackerman and Newton parks.

(D) City of Colconda, $85,000. to construct a 2-mile bike path/walking trail around the perimeter of the city.

(A) City of Harvard, $157,100, to acquire about 47 acres of land for the development of baseball and soccer fields, a picnic area and trail system.

(D) City of Highland, $200,000. to construct a combination soccer/softball field, a fully accessible playground, a fitness trail and a restroom building at the city's recently acquired Glik Park.

(A) Hoffman Estates Park District, $258,300, to acquire an additional 11 acres to create a 27-acre community park site. The two parcels will be developed with baseball and soccer fields, picnic shelters, a bike trail, playground, basketball and tennis courts and a fishing pier.

(LAWCON) (A) Forest Preserve District of Kane County, $400,000, to acquire an 85-acre parcel containing a wetland, an oak woodland and Kenyon Lake.

(D) Forest Preserve District of Kane County, $190,000, to develop the Mill Race Preserve with a canoe launch, fishing facilities, interpretive trails, nature observation stations, a shelter with restrooms, ice skating and a pathway connection with the Fox River Trail in Carpentersville.

(D) Kankakee Valley Park District (Aroma Park), $78,800, to construct playground equipment, pathway, pavilions, picnic tables and benches on both the north and south sides of the Kankakee River in Goselin Park and Railroad Bridge Park.

(LAWCON) (A) Lombard Park District, $60,000, to acquire 20.5 acres adjacent to 7.5 acres currently owned by the district to preserve and restore the existing wetlands and prairie.

(A) McHenry County Conservation District, $125,000, to acquire 60.9 acres to expand and protect the Elizabeth Lake Bog, an Illinois State Nature Preserve. The property is home to two state endangered species and four state threatened species.

(D) City of Maroa, $54,400, to develop a 5.67-acre tract of donated land with picnic tables, grills, benches, playground equipment, 3,000 linear feet of walking trails, nature area, restrooms and a pavilion.

(D) City of Marshall, $92,300, to renovate the existing municipal swimming pool and construct additional facilities including a lighted basketball court, shuffleboard-horseshoe and sand volleyball courts, playground equipment, picnic tables and fully accessible restrooms.

(A) Midlothian Park District, $130,000, to acquire an existing privately owned outdoor swimming pool complex known as Mid-Oaks Pool. The district plans to add a tot lot, sand volleyball and horseshoe courts to the facility.

(D) Morton Grove Park District, $143,800, to develop and renovate facilities at Mansfield Park. Two baseball fields will be renovated with backstops, benches, bleachers and new infields. New development includes a fully accessible play area, an interior jogging path, court game area, lighting, fencing, landscaping and approximately 1/4 mile of bike routing to nearby Linne Woods Forest Preserve.

(D) City of Mound City, $5,000, to develop a combination softball/baseball field with fencing, dugouts,

Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1994

lighting and bleachers at Mound City Community Park.

(D) City of Mount Olive, $150,000, to develop a 16-acre donated site with trails, a basketball court/ice skating area, tennis court, two baseball diamonds/soccer fields and a restroom/concession/shelter building.

(D) Village of Naplate, $73,500, to develop a new park with a Little League diamond, shelter/restroom building, basketball court, playground and a parking area.

(D) Village of New Athens, $27,500, to construct additional facilities at Okaw Valley Park, including a street hockey rink and a 1.9-mile walking path with a scenic overlook plus park road improvements.

(D) Village of Newark, $65,000, to light the existing ball field at the community park and develop a parking lot, playground, a new ball field, pathways and landscaping.

(A) Oak Lawn Park District, $400,000, to acquire a high quality 12.83-acre natural area site which contains mesic prairies and several rare plant and animal species.

(D) Village of Pawnee, $87,500, to develop a playground, basketball court, nature study area and approximately 2,700 linear feet of interior pathway, a shelter/ restroom/concession building, plus make improvements to the current baseball field.

(D) City of Pontiac, $200,000, to develop a community sports complex which would include two Little League baseball fields, a girls' softball field, two adult softball fields, fencing, bleachers and a restroom/maintenance building.

(A) River Forest Park District, $400,000,to acquire a 2.6-acre parcel for use as park land and recreational space. The project is a cooperative effort between the park district and the village of River Forest.

(A) Village of River Forest, $400,000, to acquire a 5.5-acre parcel for park land and recreational space. The project is a joint effort between the village and the River Forest Park District.

(D) River Trails Park District (Mount Prospect), $200,000, to develop four tennis courts, a picnic area, a fully accessible play area, baseball fields, sand volleyball courts, picnic shelter and a walking/jogging path at Sycamore Trails Park.

(LAWCON) (A) Rockford Park District, $400,000, to acquire 70.3 acres in the village of Cherry Valley which will serve as the primary community park for the southeast suburban Rockford area.

(D) Schaumburg Park District, $200,000, to develop Odium neighborhood park with two tennis courts, a fully accessible playground, a picnic shelter, a soccer field, baseball field, and a fully accessible nature path with habitat restoration plantings and a small observation deck.

(A) Springfield Park District, $52,000 to acquire a 10-acre east side site which will be developed with passive recreation facilities to promote conservation and environmental education.

(D) City of Springfield, $50,000, to upgrade six existing tennis courts at Lincoln Greens to a new grid tile material. A fully accessible picnic and modular play area with outdoor grills also will be developed.

(D) St. Charles Park District, $200,000, to develop a new community park west of Randall Road with four softball/baseball fields, a shelter with restrooms, a fully accessible tot lot, four tennis courts, two basketball courts, an ice rink, three volleyball courts and two soccer fields.

(D) City of Staunton, $200,000, to construct a municipal swimming pool in city-owned Fireman's Park. The pool is expected to serve the city and surrounding residents.

(D) Tinley Park District, $150,000, to renovate a wetland area and install a boardwalk and pathway to permit access into the area. The project also includes the development of a playground, basketball court, sand volleyball area and security lighting.

(D) Tremont Park District, $29,800, to install a basketball court, a walking trail and resurface the parking lot at Cullinan Park.

(D) Village of Ullin, $17,500, to renovate an existing ball field and develop a picnic area, a playground and a multi-purpose building containing a concession stand, storage area and restrooms.

(D) Urbana Park District, $200,000, to expand the Anita Purves Nature Center with additional classrooms and display areas, a nature observation area, restrooms and other related facility improvements. The center is located in Urbana's Crystal Lake Park adjacent to Busey Woods.

(D) Warrenville Park District, $68,100, to develop the District's first neighborhood park with a playground, a picnic shelter, basketball court, paved pathways and landscaping.

(D) Wheeling Park District, $200.000, to develop Childerley Park with passive outdoor recreation facilities including picnic groves, shelters, fully accessible playground equipment, sand volleyball courts, biking/jogging paths, restroom facilities, lighting and parking.

(D) Forest Preserve District of Will County,

March 1994 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 23

$102,500, to develop an area of Hickory Creek Forest Preserve with a picnic grove and shelter, latrine, well, and a fully accessible 1/2-mile connecting path to the Old Plank Road Trail in Mokena.

(A) Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, $190,000, to acquire 186 acres which will protect endangered species, including the creek heelsplitter (mussel) and the Iowa darter (fish). In addition, four endangered species of birds will be protected, including the black-crowned night heron, osprey, Cooper's hawk and sandhill crane.

(D) Village of Xenia, $15,000, to develop donated land with a picnic and barbecue area, volleyball court, horseshoe pits, a basketball court and a playground area with benches.

Page 24 / Illinois Municipal Review / March 1994