The Niles Park District unveiled renovations to Pioneer Park at a ribbon-cutting ceremony final month. The baseball fields, playground, shelter and strolling path had been improved and new points of interest had been added.
The tasks value the park district $1.8 million, supported by a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Division of Pure Assets’ Open House Lands Acquisition and Growth (OSLAD) program. New points of interest embrace a health heart, a set-up for baggage and an virtually completely new playground. The water fountains had been additionally improved to incorporate bottle fillers and canine bowls. The previous playground was donated to a park within the Dominican Republic via the nonprofit Kids Around the World Program.
The park district’s Govt Director, Tom Elenz, stated the additions to the prolonged playground included slides, climbers, swings and an prolonged shade construction. The one factor that is still within the space is a seesaw, which Elenz stated was the preferred attraction. The sandbox was eliminated as a result of the district had some points with it not being clear, Elenz stated.
The baseball subject dugouts had been modified from in-ground dugouts to surface-level dugouts. The fields obtained new grass, and new backstops had been added which are nearer to dwelling plate, which Elenz stated ought to velocity up performs as a result of the older oval-shaped dugouts had been greater. The fields may even get new LED scoreboards.
Elenz stated that as a result of Pioneer Park has the one baseball fields in Niles, growing programming is difficult as a result of the fields are already booked by youth leagues and grownup leagues between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. “Our hope with the brand new layouts is that we get extra fashionable and extra individuals signal to up. Hopefully we will get extra groups going,” he stated.
Elenz stated the park district didn’t borrow cash for the park’s upgrades, as an alternative tapping into the district’s reserve funds. No sponsors contributed to the renovations, Elenz stated.
Development at Golf Mill Park, which is half owned by the Village of Niles, is about to start subsequent week and have soccer fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball courts and an even bigger playground, Elenz stated. The OSLAD program will fund $1.2 million for it and the district will fund the remaining $2.3 million for it. “If every part goes proper, by spring of 2025” is when work will probably be accomplished at Golf Mill Park, Elenz stated.
