NORTHFIELD, IL — The Northfield Park District was awarded a state grant worth more than $405,000 to help pay for upgrades to Willow Park, one of the three parks the district owns and operates.
The matching grant is part of the latest round of grants from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program.
Willow Park, located between Wagner Road and Bristol Avenue, is set for a transformative upgrade. The project is expected to introduce new recreational amenities, enhance the accessibility of the 22.5-acre community park, add environmental improvements and increase connectivity to nearby neighborhoods.
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The $810,600 project will add two new park entrances, a one-mile walking loop with 0.4 miles of new trails, the introduction of a 9-hole disc golf course and gaga ball court, a bird habitat garden, the renovation of the existing fitness areas, a batting cage, a picnic shelter and a river overlook, according to a copy of the district’s grant application provided to Winnetka-Glencoe Patch.
“This Phase 1 Plan is part of a greater Willow Park Master Plan that is still being developed,” Northfield Park District Executive Director Bill Byron told Patch.
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Willow Park last underwent a major renovation in 2008, which was also supported with a $400,000 matching OSLAD grant.
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According to the park district’s application, construction documents and permitting should be completed this fall, with bidding to take place in the winter and construction complete by Fall 2025.
The district’s Willow Park Master Plan and a comprehensive master plan were developed early last year with the help of online surveys, public input meetings, interviews with community members and discussions at park board meetings.
The OSLAD program has awarded nearly $585 million to park projects since it began and is, according to the governor’s office, one of the most popular in Illinois.
“An investment in the outdoors is an investment in the health and well-being of the people of Illinois,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said, announcing the grant winners.
“We know that 83 percent of Illinoisans consider access to outdoor recreational opportunities important for them and their families,” Phelps Finnie said. “And studies show time and again that that getting outside leads to better overall health.”
In addition to the previous Willow Park OSLAD grant, the Northfield Park District has received a $557,000 grant in fiscal year 2019 and a $236,100 grant in 2002 for improvements to Clarkson Park.
According to its latest grant application, it also received a land acquisition grant for Fox Meadow Park in fiscal year 2000, but district officials did not know how much it was for.
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