New Burning Bush Trails Park coming to River Trails Park District

River Trails Park District received confirmation from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for a $400,000 OSLAD grant (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) for Burning Bush Trails Park. Burning Bush Trails Park is located on 1313 Burning Bush Lane off of Euclid Avenue. It is currently one of the heaviest used parks in the district and the third largest park with a total of 10 acres. There will be two phases of construction, the first phase will begin autumn 2019 and is expected to finish in spring of 2020. The total cost of the project is 1.8 million dollars, with the OSLAD grant being dedicated to phase one.

Construction for phase one of the park will include new innovative and interactive park equipment for all ages with an important key component of increasing ADA accessibility. Phase one of the project will include: new playground equipment, two pickleball courts, shoot-around basketball court, ping pong, sand play, micro soccer field, redeveloped futsal and roller hockey courts, fitness stations, passive gardens with pollinator education area, open play space, hammocks bollards, shelters, and walking paths that will facilitate access throughout the site.

Phase two of the park will include a new water detention space by lowering the baseball and soccer fields by four feet to hold excessive storm water. The River Trails Park District and the Village of Mount Prospect are working together on both phases of the park project.

"This grant provides the park district the opportunity to create a playground and recreation area which will be a community destination for years to come. The OSLAD grant will help to offset improvement costs. We are excited about all the new elements and features that will be added to Burning Bush Trails Park. It has also been a great cooperative with the Village of Mount Prospect" said Bret Fahnstrom, Executive Director of River Trails Park District.

There have been two community meetings that allowed residents to attend and express their desires for this popular neighborhood park. There will be another opportunity for residents to further discuss the types of playground equipment they would like to see at Burning Bush Trails Park through an online survey that will posted on the district's website and Facebook page in the near future.

River Trails Park District serves over 17,000 residents in the communities of Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. The mission of the River Trails Park District is to enrich the lives of our diverse community by providing quality parks, facilities and programs for recreation, education and wellness.