Naperville Park District to display next year’s projects at open house
Naperville Park District residents can get a peek at proposed improvements or renovations to 14 parks across the district’s 2,500 acres during a capital projects open house Thursday.
The second phase of the Knoch Knolls Nature Center development is the marquee project for 2014, officials said.
But some neighborhood parks also will be getting new or updated playgrounds, basketball courts and backstops, restored pond shorelines and even a renovated gazebo under plans to be showcased from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
“Our theme for the 2014 capital budget package is to take care of what we have,” said Eric Shutes, director of planning. “But we’re also looking at developing new recreational amenities that address community needs.”
Cost estimates are not yet available for the projects to be displayed Thursday because officials say they want to collect public input before setting the scope of work and approving contracts.
District officials will attend the open house to answer questions and collect input, but there will be no formal presentations.
Parks set to receive additional amenities include Harris Fawell Park, 1120 Fort Hill Drive; Kingshill Park, 4271 White Eagle Drive; and River Run Park, 4136 Clearwater Drive.
Kingshill and River Run both will get new basketball courts. Replacement sidewalks also will be installed at Kingshill and River Run will get a new backstop panel. A new playground is planned for Harris Fawell Park.
Executive Director Ray McGury said the additions will help the district make courts and playgrounds available within a half-mile radius of as many properties as possible.
Parks scheduled to receive renovations include Ashbury Park, 1740 Conan Doyle Road; Buttonwood Park, 803 Buttonwood Circle; Century Farms Park, 715 Sigmund Road; the DuPage River Sports Complex, 2807 S. Washington St.; East Greens Park, 249 White Oak Drive; Old Farm Park, 195 Ring Road; Riverwalk Park, 500 Jackson Ave.; Rock Ridge Park, 1316 Green Trails Drive; Summerfield Lake Park, 2003 Skylane Drive; and Wildflower Park, 2122 Aurora Ave.
Work this year to improve two ball fields and drainage at the DuPage River Sports Complex will continue in 2014 with the installation of LED lighting to cut energy costs, Shutes said. The gazebo at Century Farms Park will be renovated and shorelines of ponds in Rock Ridge and Summerfield Lake parks will be restored.
The park district plans to replace the ramp to the paddle boat pier at Riverwalk so people with disabilities can access it.
“There’s a huge group here in society and in Naperville that are extremely dependent upon us to provide those services for people with special needs,” McGury said.
Accessibility improvements also will be made as the park district renovates ball fields at Ashbury Park.
“We tend to add concrete collars behind the backstops so those with disabilities in wheelchairs can access from the parking lot the ball fields,” Shutes said.
The remaining parks — Buttonwood, East Greens, Old Farm and Wildflower — are set to receive playground renovations, with a replaced backstop and bridge over a small tributary also coming to Old Farm Park.
“We try to do as many improvements at one site as possible that make sense to minimize mobilization costs and construction costs,” Shutes said, “And also minimize the burden to our customer, the folks that use the park.”