Batavia's Memorial Park in line for fix-up

Batavia's Memorial Park may undergo a major spruce-up, especially if the Batavia Park District can get some state money to help pay for it.

The park board is having an open house from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday for residents to view plans for the park. The meeting is at the Civic Center, 327 W. Wilson St.

Memorial Park is on Illinois Avenue, between Jefferson Street and Republic Road. It opened in 1947 and was home to Batavia High School's football field and track before the school moved to its current site on West Wilson Street in 1967. The park district acquired the 13-acre site in 1976.

The park board is considering replacing fences around the ball fields and tennis courts; lengthening the outfield of the adult softball field; resurfacing and widening the tennis courts to regulation size; regrading the youth baseball field; moving the T-ball field; repaving the parking lot; and replacing 29-year-old incandescent lighting on the softball field, tennis courts and parking lot.

It expects the new lighting will reduce glare and use less electricity.

There is also talk of putting a paved path around the park. This would allow people who use wheelchairs or have other accessibility issues to reach all the amenities, and also meet requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The cost for all the work is estimated at $700,000 to $800,000, said Jim Eby, the district's planning and development director. The district could ask the state's Open Space Land and Development program to pay for half. Applications are due July 1. Typically, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources winnows them in the fall, and chooses recipients in January, he said.

For more information about the plan, call Eby at (630) 879-5235, ext. 2011, or visit bataviaparks.org.