Final reviews underway at new Grayslake Gelatin Park

About a year after the village first gave residents a look at how a park at the former Grayslake Gelatin Company site might appear, the project is nearly wrapped up.

Village engineers are reviewing the extensive work done to Gelatin Factory Park before the village board approves final payments, Assistant Village Manager Brett Kryska said Thursday.

"The park's all done, this is just a formality that we have to do," he said.

The village board addressed another formality Tuesday when it approved a $13,184 change order payment that funded removal of underground concrete workers unearthed near the iconic Grayslake Gelatin smokestack, the only structure from the old factory still standing.

Kryska said crews had to leave in place concrete nearest to the smokestack, requiring them to expand the circular footpath that goes around the structure and install more bricks and stamped concrete.

The park is open to the public, though the winter weather isn't making it a destination quite yet.

"People have been using the hill for sledding," Kryska said. "But it's the winter time, we'll wait until the spring to see how much use the park gets."

In February 2018, the village released renderings of what the park could look like. Soon after they approved a $2.5 million plan to build the park, which included excavating the land, piling dirt to make a hill and paving a winding road to allow traffic to drive from Railroad Avenue, which previously ended at the site, to the road that runs through Central Park. The project cost estimate also included maintenance work to the Grayslake Gelatin Company smokestack.

The park's final price tag will be known when the village's review is complete, officials say.