Unfortunately, our fields are situated on floodplains and as they are currently designed are frequently unusable due to constant flooding. This results in frequent game cancellations for teams who are sometimes unable to finish the season. It’s disappointing to the ballplayers, their families, the coaches, and fans.
Synthetic turf will solve that problem, adding more than three times the number of playing hours yearly and reducing the field’s maintenance costs by 50%. The average lifespan of the new turf will provide these benefits for ten years or more.
The new turf infield will significantly improve playability & recovery time after storms and add flexibility to serve multiple age groups. The new field will make Highland Park competitive with our North Shore neighbors.
The Larry Fink Park baseball field renovation is planned to have approximately ½ of an acre of synthetic in-field turf. Comparatively, Lake Forest has about 10 acres.
The launch is expected to remain open during construction.
During construction, parts of the north beach are expected to have limited access.
Boat storage through April 29 will not be impacted. The project team plans to sequence the project to minimize the impact to boat storage for the 2024 season.
Programming and operations at the existing West Ridge Center will not be affected during construction.
Some programs at West Ridge Park, including the athletic fields will be temporarily relocated. The east ballfield will be demolished, and the west ballfield will remain open during construction. The Park District will communicate program changes during construction.
Parking will be affected during construction. Details and instructions for patrons during construction will be communicated by Park District staff and on our website.
The existing West Ridge Center will remain open during the construction of the new recreation facility.
Demolition of the existing West Ridge Center will begin after construction of the new facility is completed, and all programs and services have been relocated from the existing facility.
Demolition is anticipated to be completed by Fall 2026.
Yes. The new recreation facility at West Ridge Park will include a nearly 10,000-square-foot gymnastics gymnasium, which is more than twice the size of the existing gymnastics studio at Centennial Ice Arena (CIA). The new space will enable the Park District to increase programming capacity and serve a wider diversity of participants.
The gymnastics studio at CIA will temporarily be converted into a multi-purpose space to serve the community with athletics and other programs while the Park District updates its comprehensive Master Plan.
Yes. The Park District hosted meetings specific to this project in addition to the regularly scheduled public Park Board Meetings where the project was listed on the agenda. The project was also reviewed at City public Meetings including the Design Review Commission and the City Council. Here is a summary of the project’s community engagement meetings:
