Glenview Park District buys 1.1 acres from Avoca 37 for neighborhood park

The Glenview Park District has approved the purchase of a 1.1-acre land parcel that will become a neighborhood park, the park district announced Friday.

Buying the land from Avoca School District 37, which currently includes a rental house on Hunter Road, is part of the park district's 10-year comprehensive master plan for facility improvements, programming updates, budgeting, and the expansion of parks and open space.

The park plan includes nature playground elements and walking paths; the development also will protect more than 60 healthy and mature trees on the land. An assessment of the trees showed incredible diversity - 18 different species - with a total of 23 oak trees of three varieties. Eleven of these oak trees are estimated to be older than the park district itself, ranging from 100 to 150 years old.

"It's central to our mission as a park district to protect public land and promote the development of green spaces," said Michael McCarty, Glenview Park District Executive Director. "Transforming this property into an outdoor park allows us to further enrich the community by improving residents' access to nature, which is a key part of our master plan."

The property will be paid for with a portion of the $1 million Open Space Fund created in 2018 after voters approved a $17 million bond issue for park district improvements.

"While maintaining this property no longer aligns with our school mission, we wanted to make sure it remains a community resource and maintain its natural setting by preserving trees and other elements," said Avoca Superintendent Kaine Osburn. "We're grateful to partner with the Glenview Park District in this property transfer and look forward to seeing the land become an open space that families and students can enjoy."