West Chicago to give facelift to local parks, aquatic center

The West Chicago Park District will be giving a face-lift to several area parks in time for the summer.

Among the most significant upgrades will happen at the Prairie Oaks Family Aquatic Center at Reed-Keppler Park.

The park district plans to make about $2 million in improvements to the 13-year-old outdoor waterpark by installing a 200-foot-long slide, expanding the park's concessions area and adding more play features.

The park's name also will be changed during renovations to Turtle Splash.

"We felt it needed more of an identity, a theme aspect," said Gary Major, the park district's executive director.

In addition to the upgrades to the waterpark, which are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, the park district will add $150,000 of new playground equipment to three parks: Meadow Woods, Pioneer and Reed-Keppler.

A $175,000 facelift to the skate park at Reed-Keppler Park also is expected to be completed this summer.

In addition, parks officials are planning to install a disc golf course at Easton Park. Disc golf is played like regular golf, but instead of hitting balls into holes, players throw plastic disks into baskets.

And to improve safety at playing fields, parks officials are planning to install several lightning detection systems at four area parks: Cornerstone, Manville Oaks, Pioneer and Reed-Keppler.

"We want to become a stronger presence in the community," Major said of the changes. "There's a broad range of services we're trying to improve."