Parks & Renos

By Lisa Arnett
Appears in the October 2024 issue.

Check out these refreshes, from playground revamps to new pickleball courts

Looking for a new place to take the kids to swing and slide or just go for a stroll? Here’s the scoop on some of the public amenities recently opened and those on the horizon.

NOW OPEN

Crews were busy replacing three Naperville Park District playgrounds this summer. Oakridge Parkway (478 E. 87th St., Naperville) features a large play structure for ages 5 to 12, a smaller structure for ages 2 to 5, net climbers, swings, and a zipline. Right near downtown Naperville, the new playground at Central Park (104 E. Benton Ave.) has a net spinner, a new picnic table, and a play structure for ages 5 to 12. On Naperville’s south side at South Pointe Park (5504 Switch Grass Ln.), the freshly updated playground features a rock-climbing wall and ropes course for ages 5 to 12 as well as a hammock, storefront area, and crawl tube for ages 2 to 5. You’ll also find six new swings (including an ADA-accessible swing) and a new picnic shelter.

The Wheaton Park District made some major improvements to Briar Patch Park (1700 Briarcliffe Blvd.) on the city’s east side this summer, including new baseball backstops, pickleball courts, and outdoor fitness equipment; rehabbed playground surfacing; and a remodeled picnic shelter.

This summer the Oswegoland Park District replaced the playground equipment at Grande Park (26333 Grande Park Blvd., Plainfield). “Grande Park subdivision is pretty cool; the way it was laid out, they have this major community park right in the center and then there are bike paths that radiate out to where the neighborhoods are,” says Colleen McCarty, senior park planner at the Oswegoland Park District. The new playground is one mulched space with separate equipment for kiddos ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12.

The playground at downtown Oswego’s central green space, Hudson Crossing Park (65 N. Harrison St.), scored a total makeover this summer with new equipment geared for kids ages 5 to 12. “This is our main park where we have a lot of special events, so this playground gets used a lot,” McCarty says. “So the big thing we were going for with the design was for it to handle a lot of kids. It has a little bit of everything: climbers and spinners and slides and swings, monkey bars, and overhead elements.”

IN THE WORKS

A major revamp and expansion of Wheatland Park (23830 W. 127th St., Plainfield) is now underway. In 2023, the Plainfield Park District acquired this five-acre park from Wheatland Township in an intergovernmental transfer. Combined with an adjacent parcel of land, the new park will be a total of nine acres. The existing playground will be renovated and new additions will include a nature play area, a picnic shelter, lawn games, fitness stations, a trail loop, and a dog park with separate sections for large dogs and small dogs, all slated for completion by the end of 2024.

The Oswegoland Park District received an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant to improve access at Farmington Lakes Park (1211 Farmington Lakes Dr., Oswego). “It’s an existing lake that is on the north part of our border that is undeveloped and, quite frankly, hard to get to,” McCarty says. The grant will fund the addition of parking, walkways, and a bridge over Waubonsee Creek. “The bridge will lead to a fishing pier/canoe and kayak launch, and everything will be ADA accessible,” she says. “This is also the start of the Waubonsie Greenway Trail, so there’s an existing bike path that only goes partially around the lake, and part of this project is to extend that path so when you’re biking or walking, you can make a full loop.”

In Glen Ellyn, plans are in the beginning phases for Downtown Community Park (453 Forest Ave.), a new gathering space along the Metra tracks. A joint effort of the Village of Glen Ellyn and the Glen Ellyn Park District, the park will be located on the former U.S. Bank site. The vision is for local residents, train commuters, and Prairie Path travelers to all convene at this green space with a play area, event lawn, stage, and picnic grove. Pending additional funding, construction could start as early as 2025, with an opening in 2026.

Photos: Naperville Park District; Glen Ellyn Park District; Jen Banowetz (Briar Patch Park)