No. The playground project will replace a tot lot and an elementary playground with new equipment for both age groups.

The Master Plan may recommend removal or replacement of amenities within the park, but at this time the District has no plans to remove any amenities at the park.

The Titanic Tides Tot Lot and the 21^st Century Playground are located on the eastern edge of the park.

The playground will be closed during construction, which is scheduled to begin in August 2021. Construction will continue through end of the year 2021 and, depending on weather, the playground may continue to remain closed for construction through Spring 2022. The Tree Adventure Playground (east of the playgrounds under construction) will remain open through construction.

Renovation of the playground is expected to break ground in Spring 2021.

Yes, please fill out the contact us form or email [email protected] and include your name and email address.

The playground renovation project’s objective is to replace two of the playgrounds at Sunset Woods, the Rocket Ship playground, and Titanic Tides Tot Lot. The master plan aims to evaluate the park holistically and recommend improvements to the park to serve the community better. The playground -construction is scheduled for 2021.  The master plan project recommendations are currently unbudgeted.

The master plan will inform future development at the park. Projects recommended in the master plan will be considered during future year budgeting. With the plan, the Park District can begin to apply for funding opportunities such as the Open Space and Land Acquisition and Development Grant Program offered by the State of Illinois.

A master plan is a comprehensive plan with long-range goals. A Sunset Woods Park Master Plan will consider the entire Park, connectivity, recreation amenities, and how these amenities serve the Highland Park community and how the Park fits into the Downtown. The final master plan will provide a layout to guide future development and improvements at the park. The recommendations in the master plan will be developed in collaboration with the community. See the participate in the vision tab to see opportunities to participate in the planning.

A concept plan illustrates a broad vision to garner support and consensus before proceeding into final design phases. Concept plans are typically less detailed than a final design. In this case, specific elements, colors, textures, materials will be determined in final design.

Phase 1: Preliminary Design (Fall/Winter 2020 – January 2021)
The Preliminary Design phase has three steps:

• Step 1 Input: The project team will collect input from the community on their vision for an updated playground and park.
• Step 2 Review: The design firm will take the community feedback and develop an initial concept plan draft to illustrate the feedback that was gathered during Step 1.
• Step 3 Final Concept: The project team will gather feedback on the initial draft concept plan. That feedback will be used to refine a final concept plan.

The concept master plan will serve as a tool to guide future capital planning and support funding opportunities.

The playground concept plan developed in Phase 1 will serve as the foundation for Phase 2 playground final design.

Phase 2: Playground Final Design (Early 2021- Spring 2021)
The design team will develop detailed plans for construction. These plans will detail colors, materials, textures, dimensions, and play pieces.

Phase 3: Playground Construction (Summer – Fall 2021)
The new playground will be constructed. Once construction is completed, the new playground will be open to the community.