New life proposed for land of former St. Charles youth prison

The site of an old youth prison north of St. Charles could have a new future in the recreation business. The St. Charles Park District is pursuing a $1.1 million redevelopment proposal to transform the property into a sprawling public park, officials said Monday.

"We have felt for a very long time that there was a need for a major park in this area," parks director Jim Breen said. "This is an area that really is underserved."

Located between Illinois and Geneva avenues in the St. Charles Township area known as Valley View, the former Illinois Youth Center closed in 2002 and has sat vacant ever since.

Last year, the Kane County Forest Preserve District bought the roughly 40-acre site for $3.5 million and began collaborating on a redevelopment strategy with the park district, which signed a 50-year lease for use of the land.

Under the current plan, several buildings would be torn down to open up the partially wooded land for various amenities, including two ball fields, two basketball courts, two multipurpose fields, a dog park, a skate park and a community garden. A fishing pier would be built onto an existing pond, and there would be several areas with park trails, picnic spots, shelters and parking.

Breen said the park district would pay for the redevelopment and operational costs, while the preserve district would maintain ownership and pay for building demolitions.

River Bend Community Park, as it's to be called, could open in late 2009 or 2010, depending on the outcome of a $400,000 grant request from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the timeliness of state approval for the development. Breen said the park district intends to use reserves to fund the balance.

"We hope to get it under way next year," he said. "A lot depends on when the state gives permission."

In brainstorming for the project, the park and preserve districts solicited ideas from the East Side Homeowners Association and other nearby residents. While there are a few modest-size parks in the Valley View area, none offers the type of activity the River Bend park would. "As far as having a real park in the neighborhood, we really have had nothing," said Chuck Ingersoll, president of the homeowners group. "We think the forest preserve district and park district have done an outstanding job. We're anxious to get it going."