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$1 million in upgrades on tap for Carol Stream park

Carol Stream Park District officials are planning roughly $1 million in improvements to recreational amenities at Armstrong Park, where a $5 million DuPage County stormwater management system will be built.

Though improvements to the park have been planned as part of the district's voter-approved $37 million capital program, the plans have been put on hold awaiting design, permitting and other approvals for the county flood relief project.

Park officials this week released details of the projects, which could be complete by year's end. They include:

Ÿ A new ballfield could be added, with the park board's consent, to replace two existing fields that are being removed due to the stormwater project, which includes construction of a pump storage facility with two reservoirs and a siphon that will release stormwater downstream in Klein Creek. The new ballfield is expected to cost $190,000. Two existing fields will be placed at a higher elevation at an estimated cost of $100,000.

Ÿ A new sled hill will be created to replace the one on the south end of the park being displaced by the reservoirs. The cost of the new hill is estimated at $200,000.

Ÿ Paths throughout the park will be repaved and replaced at a cost of $216,000.

Ÿ Eco-friendly permeable paving will be added at a price of $35,000.

Ÿ A new “Kids World” playground will be built in the northeast portion of the park to replace the original one, constructed in 1998 as part of a community fundraising effort. The replacement will cost at least $120,000.

Park officials have been talking to parent-teacher associations at nearby schools, including Western Trails, Roy DeShane and Jay Stream, in hope of soliciting input on possible playground designs. Informational meetings are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at Simkus Recreation Center to present options.

Additional improvements still being discussed include the addition of a snack bar and restroom building for $350,000 and refurbishing the Ray Nazillian ballfield in the northwest portion of the park for $190,000.

There's also the potential of improving the parking lot.

Work at Armstrong Park — whether done by the county or park district — can't begin until the county receives final stormwater permits from the state Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers, according to Bill Rosenberg, director of parks, facilities and production.

“There's a lot of hoops the county has to jump through because of the flood reservoir,” Rosenberg said. “It's a lot more than just moving some dirt around.”

The district also is awaiting word from the county on how much additional storage capacity will be permitted as part of the stormwater project. Initial plans indicated the reservoirs would be constructed to handle up to 13 acre-feet, which should be enough to handle runoff from the proposed recreational projects, including raising ball fields and the parking lot, according to Matt Worline of Aurora-based Cemcon, Ltd., the park district's engineering consultant.

There's also the potential of adding turf to fields at a later date, officials said.

The district would have to pay for the additional capacity.

“When we have that (capacity amount), then we'll have a green light to do what we want to do,” Rosenberg said.

Construction on park district projects wouldn't begin until after the summer baseball season concludes in August.

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