Groundbreaking at Memorial Park

If you have walked down Oak past the Library of late, you have seen lots of activity and fenced-in areas.
What is going on?

Over 8 years ago, the Community Park District distributed a survey to the community asking residents what they like about our parks and what they would like to see in our parks.

One of the residents described Memorial Park as the crown jewel of the community. Taking those sentiments, the Park District board began to plan renovations for the Park.

Over the course of the next several years, planning and funding began. The Community Park District was awarded the largest possible grant available: $400,000.

And that is what you see going on in Memorial Park. The official groundbreaking was Friday, March 3, 2017.
Planning Resources Inc is the project architect; Builders Land is the general contractor for the shelter and Kee Construction is the general contractor for the remainder of the project.

The Park District staff worked tirelessly helping to design the project with strict attention to the costs. A thank you from the community to Karen Boyd, Lucy Stastny, Tim Ogden, Jeff Kilrea, Bob Corte and the former President of the Board, Lou Ritten whose efforts were monumental.

When the work is completed, residents will enjoy a new shelter with a covered picnic area, bathrooms in the shelter and a small splash pad area for kids. There will also be a permanent bags setup and a permanent bocce ball area, a new gazebo, and improved walking trail and fitness stations along the trail. You can follow a visual timeline of construction on the Park District website: www.communityparkdistrict.org.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2017 and the grand unveiling will take place in conjunction with the Village’s 125th birthday party on July 15, 2017. Activities begin at noon that day and continue into the evening with bands, play equipment for the children, cake and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5:00 p.m.
As Karen Boyd, president of the Board of Trustees for the Park District, stated in her welcome speech at the groundbreaking: “I hope that everyone will agree that our crown jewel has been polished and perhaps a few new precious jewels have been added to Memorial Park.”