Officials favor Aurora park purchase

The Fox Valley Park District is seeking $500,000 from the Kane County Forest Preserve to purchase a 17-acre vacant plot of land on Aurora's west side to develop as a park.

The forest preserve commission's executive committee on Friday recommended allocating the funds. The full commission is expected to vote on the measure at its Nov. 13 meeting.

The Aurora-based park district plans to build two baseball/softball fields, a picnic area and make other improvements to the site, located next to a manufacturing plant along the east side of Morton Avenue between Colorado and New Haven avenues.

Park officials are finalizing the sale of the $1.7 million property. If the forest preserve kicks in funding, it would own five acres of the site, which would be maintained and developed by the park district.

The property is one of many park officials said they hope to purchase if voters approve a tax increase Feb. 5. The park board is expected to authorize a $57 million referendum later this month.

"We're thrilled at the opportunity to be able to provide an additional 17 acres of open space within an area that has a shortage of open space," park district planner Jeff Palmquist said.

The site is located amid older neighborhoods built before the park district formed in 1947, when "little in the way of parks were provided," Palmquist said.

Kane County Forest Preserve Commission President John Hoscheit said the forest preserve has long promoted "these types of projects in urban areas."

Hoscheit pointed to an agreement reached last year between the forest preserve and city of Elgin on the development of the 40-acre Eagles Park on Elgin's west side.