Buffalo Grove endorses plan to improve Emmerich West

The Buffalo Grove village board on Monday threw its support behind a rehabilitation of Emmerich Park West by the park district.

The district plans on making changes that would make the 13-acre park and building compliant with the American with Disabilities Act guidelines with the help of a $400,000 grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The total cost for the park at Lake-Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard is estimated at more than $2 million.

Mike Rylko, executive director of the park district, said that the renovations would also include replacement of the dugouts, fencing and backstop for Jay Jones baseball field and improvements of the asphalt in the parking lot.

"The playground will be removed and replaced," Rylko said.

The dugouts will also be changed at the Emmerich North baseball field, and the picnic shelters will be replaced.

New bathrooms will be attached to the to the west side of the existing building at the park that will meet ADA requirements, he said.

The district also plans on adding a double batting cage near Emmerich South and new bike racks.

Rylko said much of the park has not been touched for more than 30 years.

"It's been around for a long time," Trustee Jeff Braiman agreed. "Over the years, you can see it's aged."

Rylko said the district would like to start the project as soon as possible; it would likely be completed by June next year. He said some of the Buffalo Grove Recreation Association baseball games will be affected; however, if the project is completed on time, it won't affect much of the season.

The recreation association will be submitting separate plans to the village to replace a building that it uses for storage.

Rylko also assured the board that the construction would not affect Buffalo Grove Days, which takes place over Labor Day weekend.

"It's a very exciting and ambitious plan for a park that gets a lot of use," Trustee Bruce Kahn said.

Rehab: Construction won't affect Buffalo Grove Days