Lisle to unveil PrairieWalk Pond

Lisle residents will have a new place to play, exercise and explore nature when the village officially unveils its PrairieWalk Pond on Saturday.

The five-acre area at Route 53 and Burlington Avenue includes fountains, a gazebo and lighted walking paths that circle a pond lined with native plants, trees and flowers.

DragonFly Landing, a nature-themed children' playground on the site, includes a treehouse, leaping lily pads, cattail swingers, a shelter with a living roof and more. A splash pad will open there next summer.

Village officials will dedicate PrairieWalk Pond during a 1 p.m. ceremony Saturday, Oct. 30, which will coincide with downtown trick-or-treating on Main Street.

Catherine Schuster, Lisle economic development director, said residents already were discovering the pond area as it was being finished.

“We saw people using the trail even when it was still grass, so we're really happy that we've got the lighted walking trail ready to go,” she said. “We're seeing walkers, I've seen dogs, so people are already enjoying this great public amenity.”

In an effort to stay in line with Lisle's slogan as the “Arboretum Village,” planners incorporated sustainable elements into the project, such as native plants, wetlands, permeable pavers, LED lighting, a shelter with a living roof filled with plants, and educational signage.

Part of the project was funded by a $400,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The matching grant required Lisle to invest an equal amount or more into the project.

But officials said totals greatly surpassed $800,000, since the project began in the early 2000s after Lisle purchased most of about 21 homes situated on the site. Totals for the entire project were not available Monday.

Schuster said the homes were plagued with chronic flooding because they sat on a floodplain. Now the two-acre pond will serve as a stormwater retention area to support downtown redevelopment.