Officials: $32 million Arlington Heights park refresh won’t disrupt Frontier Days

The Arlington Heights Park District is set to embark on the next phases of a long-planned transformation of Recreation Park — including restoration of the iconic Depression-era field house — but officials say the work won’t interfere with one of the largest suburban summer festivals held there annually.

Phase one, including an accessible playground, new tennis courts, picnic shelters, outdoor fitness equipment, a bag toss court and parking lot on the west side of the park at 500 E. Miner St., is set to grand open June 9 and coincide with the 100th anniversary of the park district’s incorporation.

A skate park in the southeast corner of the park and walking paths will be completed after the upcoming Frontier Days festival July 2-6.

Construction on phases two and three — which calls for interior renovation of the Works Progress Administration-built field house, replacement of the Olympic-sized outdoor pool, and construction of a new bathhouse and concessions building — won’t start until after the fest, and is expected complete in 2026.

“We’ve been working collaboratively with Frontier Days all the way along and have a good solution for their event that does not impact that in any way,” said John Kramer, the park district’s director of parks and planning. “No large scale changes. Everything that needs to get moved we’ve found consensus with.”

Thousands annually descend on the 18-acre park, located just east of downtown Arlington Heights, for the five-day, volunteer-run festival held around the Fourth of July holiday.

Park leaders have spent at least a decade preparing for a major refresh of what is one of the oldest and most centrally located open spaces in town.

They’re set to receive final zoning approvals from the village board next week for the final phases of a project that could cost as much as $32.1 million. Before work began last August, an earlier estimate put the total at $23.6 million.

Phase one currently underway is coming in at $4.1 million, while phase two is projected to be $2.5 million and phase three $25.5 million, officials said. The park district is accepting bids for the final two phases until Wednesday, and the park board is expected to approve pricing June 10.

Local reserves are paying for most of it, but the district secured $4 million in state funding from the Department of Natural Resources: two $600,000 grants for the first two phases, and a $2.8 million grant for pool and field house upgrades.

Phase two calls for improvements in and around the baseball field, including new dugouts with shade structures, accessible bleacher seating for fans, a batting cage along Douglas Avenue, and upgraded outfield fencing. As a new backstop, an 8-foot chain link fence will be installed with 32 feet of sports netting above that extends across the dugouts and spectators areas.

Next to the baseball diamond will be a new basketball court, prefabricated restroom structure, game tables, and 41-space parking lot along Douglas.

The last and biggest part of the park transformation will be face-lift of the aquatic area, which has had only minor changes since a pool renovation in 1988 and building touch-up shortly thereafter.

The inside of the community building — which opened June 17, 1939 — will be rehabbed, keeping the existing first-floor gym and lower-level preschool, and adding some restrooms, offices and rental space. An addition with vestibule and elevator will be built on the east side of the building.

“We’re preserving a lot of the existing footprint, but trying to maximize the programmable area for the park district for their current and future needs,” said Maggie Krieger of FGM Architects, the project designer.

The existing bathhouse just east of the pool will be torn down and a new one built containing men’s and women’s locker rooms, four private family changing restrooms, concession stand, and year-round multipurpose space.

A raised deck will overlook the new 50-meter lap pool, and an updated children’s aquatic area will contain a splash pad and wading pool.

The current pool will open for the summer season May 24, with a tentative closing date of Aug. 10 so construction can begin. It’s unknown if the new pool will be ready for the summer 2026 season, but a lot depends on getting permits and ideal weather conditions, said Carrie Fullerton, the park district’s executive director.

The project also includes redoing the circular drive and installing 17 parking spaces north of the old field house.