Glenview Park District - Parks Under Construction

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Parks Under Construction

Ground Broken for Community Park West Phase II Development

GLENVIEW, IL, Saturday, May 10, 2008 – With shovels in hand, the Glenview Park District Park Board of Commissioners broke ground today on the next phase of development of the 95.5 acre property known as Community Park West, 1001 Zenith Drive.

State and local officials including State Representative Elaine Nekritz and Glenview Village President Kerry Cummings, along with representatives from Glenview Youth Baseball, D.O.G. (Dog Owners of Glenview) and their dogs, and community members who provided design input for the park, kicked-off the construction work with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new development located just east of I-294 off Milwaukee Ave.

For more than a year and a half, Glenview Park District commissioners and staff, local youth sports groups, dog park proponents and hundreds of community members have been participating in a design process that included 13 public meetings to seek ideas, input and suggestions for the 35 undeveloped acres. That community process resulted in a Master Plan for the site prepared by the engineering firm of Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc., park design and landscape architects 3D Design Studio and Altamanu, a design firm with expertise in dog park development. The plan was presented to the public in April 2007 and then further refined before being approved by the Glenview Park Board last May. Construction will be headed up by V3 Construction Co.

“Our community input process has produced a gem of a plan for the next phase of expansion at Community Park West,” said Glenview Park District Executive Director Chuck Balling. “Together with our consultants, our staff and our community partners have designed a park that is unique in both its beauty and purpose, with multiple passive and active recreational uses and natural areas which will enhance the community’s quality of life. We are proud of what they have done and delighted to begin this next phase.”

The $4 million Phase II development will feature a four ball diamond pinwheel with a shelter, a dog park, a new playground area with equipment for toddlers and school age children, pathways, trails, wetlands and natural areas and a permanent game court area for bocce ball, Baggo and horseshoes. The project is jointly funded through a $700,000 donation by Glenview Youth Baseball and a $400,000 State of Illinois Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development program grant. Other funding will come from the Glenview Park District’s Farm and Fields Development Fund, TIF monies, developer donations and bond sale proceeds.

The process of creating Community Park West began more than a decade ago when Glenview park district voters approved a tax increase to purchase two very distinct properties for two very different uses. The 1998 “Farm and Fields” referendum paved the way for the initial acquisition of 38 acres of land owned by Town & Country Properties on the western edge of Glenview for much needed sports fields. This property was developed into the existing Community Park West and opened to the public in 2002. It also led to the purchase of the 18.2 acre farmstead known as Wagner Farm.

Community Park West is one of the most popular and heavily-used parks in the park district and is considered the sports field hub of Glenview. The park is a busy site from dawn to well past nightfall with five lighted softball fields, a lighted skate park, one full size basketball court and one half court, five soccer fields and 1.5 miles of paved walking paths where leashed dog walking is permitted. Community Park West is home to youth and adult softball and soccer leagues, and hosts the Glenview Titan Girls Fastpitch Thunderbolt Classic Tournament and the Glenview Youth Baseball Tournament on Memorial Day Weekend. Community Park West welcomes between 200 and 400 visitors each weekday. Nearly 1,000 people use the park on Saturdays and Sundays during the busiest seasons in the summer and fall.

“It is fitting that we should break ground on the next phase of Community Park West during the 10 th anniversary year of the passage of the Farm and Fields referendum,” said Park Board President Ted Przybylo. “I appreciate our residents’ foresight to preserve this land and their commitment to developing it for future generations to enjoy,” he said.

The construction schedule calls for the natural areas, playgrounds, game court area and dog park to be completed in 2009. The baseball diamond pinwheel area will be ready for play in spring 2010. Plans for the development of the remaining 22.5 acres of Community Park West have not been finalized but are likely to include an additional park district maintenance facility.