Excitement high over Canine Commons dog park

The dogs soon will have their day at Melas Park in Mount Prospect.

The grand opening of Canine Commons, the dog park being constructed in the northwest corner of Melas, will take place Saturday, June 21. The project is a joint effort between the Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect park districts.

Right now, construction is in the early stages, but officials say the park should be nearly complete in time for the opening.

“We've had some weather-related delays,” said Brian Taylor, director of recreation for the Mount Prospect Park District. “But I expect we'll be about 99 percent done for the opening.”

When complete, Canine Commons will be nearly two acres and include three areas — one for large dogs, one for small/medium dogs and a third to be used when one of the other two is undergoing maintenance. There also will be a roofed shelter on the site.

The park will operate on a membership basis. Earlier in the spring, the two park districts started selling a total of 500 memberships to the dog park. They sold out in a matter of weeks.

“I wasn't surprised because when we first started talking about this in September we received lots of feedback,” Taylor said. “I'm pleased, though, to see such high interest.”

Members will be given a key fob that will grant them entrance to the park. After the park opens, officials from both park districts will monitor the use to see if more memberships should be sold. In the meantime, interested residents can add their names to a waitlist by filling out an application form at mppd.org or ahpd.org.

Melas Park, 1500 W. Central Road, is owned by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. That agency leases the land to the village of Mount Prospect, which in turn leases it to the two park districts. The districts are sharing the cost of the dog-park project, which is budgeted at $171,000.

Details about the grand opening ceremony are still being worked out. It is expected to run from 10 a.m. to noon on June 21.

If you go

<span class="fact box text bold">What</span>: Grand opening (for members only) of Canine Commons, the new dog park at Melas Park in Mount Prospect

<span class="fact box text bold">When</span>: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 21

<span class="fact box text bold">Where</span>: Melas Park, 1500 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect

<span class="fact box text bold">Info</span>: Go to <a href="http://mppd.org">mppd.org</a> or <a href="http://ahpd.org">ahpd.org</a>