St. Charles youth prison demolition begins

Demolition of a dilapidated youth prison north of St. Charles is under way to make room for a new public park.

For about a week, crews have been bulldozing buildings at the former Illinois Youth Center between Illinois and Geneva avenues in St. Charles Township. The 40-acre site is slated for redevelopment as River Bend Community Park, a partially wooded recreation area with athletic fields, a dog park and a community garden, among other amenities.

Denny Ryan, superintendent of parks and planning for the St. Charles Park District, said Tuesday the demolition will continue through summer while officials work toward a 2010 opening.

"To be able to transform that (site) into a nice community park, it's just a very exciting project," he said.

The redevelopment is a joint endeavor of the Kane County Forest Preserve District, which owns the land, and the park district, which has agreed to fund the park's construction and operation in exchange for its use.

The park would be the most elaborate in the area known as Valley View, where in 2002 the state facility was closed and left dormant.

Ryan said officials are awaiting the results of a $400,000 grant request with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before starting on new construction.

"The longer that drags on, the tougher it will be to do any construction this year," he said.

The park is slated to include two ball fields, two basketball courts, two multipurpose fields, a dog park, a skate park and a community garden. The plans also call for a fishing pier at an existing pond, as well as walking trails, picnic tables, shelters and parking throughout the site.

The overall cost of the project has been estimated at $1.1 million. Officials say the money will come from state grants and park district reserves.