Jubilee Point Park Development | Featured Capital Projects | Current & Proposed Projects | Recently Completed Projects
Featured Capital Projects
NEW SHADE STRUCTURES, PADDLE RACKING SYSTEM AND MORE INSTALLED AT HOBSON CORNER PARK
Updated November 20, 2023 –Improvements to the splash pad and pickleball courts at Hobson Corner Park was completed in mid November. In the splash pad area, two 15’x15’ fabric shade structures were installed in the lawn area to improve the experience of splash pad users, in addition to a spectator/staging space for pickle ballers. The pickleball improvements include the development of an accessible walk and paved seating space along the eastside of the pickleball courts featuring a cantilevered 14’x30’ fabric shade structure; a paddle racking system for organizing pace of play; accessible seating; and a concrete seat wall with associated landscape and drainage improvements.
HAWTHORNE HILL WOODS RECREATIONAL TRAIL PROJECT
Updated September 22, 2023 – The District was recently awarded a $200,000 grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trail Program for the development of a recreational trail within Hawthorne Hill Woods in accordance with the proposed 2014 Woodridge Town Centre Master Plan. The grant will offset the estimated $500,000 project cost. The proposed engineered recreational trail will consist of mostly crushed limestone with some asphalt connections transitioning to the existing bike paths and over culverts in floodplains. The trail will meander through the woodlands connecting users of the existing Woodridge Comprehensive Multi-use Pathway System on the north and south ends of the woodlands as well as provide users enhanced opportunities to more closely experience nature. Prior to submitting the grant application, the District held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, for the purpose of soliciting public review and comments on the proposed trail. Construction of the trail anticipated in 2025.
2023-2024 Capital Asset Replacement Projects & Purchases
Recently Completed Projects
Woodridge Park District and School District 68 Collaborate to Replace Murphy and Edgewood School Playgrounds
August 31, 2023 –Construction at Murphy and Edgewood School playgrounds is complete and both parks are open for play.
Staff and volunteers from the Woodridge Park District, Woodridge School District 68 and Kids Around the World, a non for profit organization that recycles old playgrounds giving them new life in other countries, helped remove the old playground equipment at Murphy and Edgewood Schools in June. Thanks to Kids Around the World (KATW), the removed play equipment from both schools will be refurbished with new fittings and hardware, repainted and welded in their warehouse in Rockford, IL. KATW then connect with communities overseas to determine a need and an appropriate fit for each playground based on playground size and features and site assessments of possible playground locations. Once a site is identified for each unique playground and a rebuild date is coordinated, KATW ship the playground from their warehouse to the new overseas location and send their staff and volunteers to manage the safe rebuild of these refurbished playgrounds, often in communities where kids have never even been on a playground before. Upon completion, KATW then send photos and updates of the reinstallation efforts of all donated playgrounds so agencies can see what a great impact their donation has made to another community. Not only does partnering with KATW with playground donations give to underserved communities, but by donating these playgrounds and removing with KATW staff and volunteers, there are no costs for equipment removal. In fact, staff estimates it saves the Park District between $5,000 and $10,000 for each playground (the estimated cost a contractor would charge to remove and legally dispose of the playground equipment, which would likely end up in a landfill).
The demolition of the playground equipment was part of a playground replacement project at both schools which also includes the replacement of swings at Edgewood School, the replacement of existing wood timber borders with poured concrete barrier curbing and seat walls, replacement of engineered wood fiber playground safety surfacing, drainage improvements, the addition of accessible ramps, paving for accessible site amenities (benches and trash receptacles) and landscape plantings for increased shade.
Because of a long-standing intergovernmental partnership between the two agencies, the playground replacement costs will be funded cooperatively by both School District 68 and the Woodridge Park District. The sharing in costs also allows Park District staff to enhance the two playground areas in line with the District’s typical neighborhood park developments by incorporating site furnishings (benches and trash receptacles) and the planting of shade trees at these school playground locations.
Invasive Plant Removals and Natural Areas Clean-up
November 14, 2022 – District staff completed work at numerous park properties and natural areas mechanically removing woody, invasive plant material including buckthorn, willows and honeysuckle. This work utilized commercial-grade equipment including brush chippers and skid steer mounted grinding equipment (forestry mulcher and stump grinder). This was completed in compliance with the Village’s construction noise ordinance with no equipment being operated before 7:00 AM
Project Sites:
- Hawthorne Hill Woods
- Ide’s Grove East Park
- Janes Avenue Park
- Lake Carleton
- Lake Harriet
- Orchard Hill Park
- Peters/Rutgers Drive Basin
- Pond 54 (natural area east of Woodward Ave. & Prairie Ln.)
- Town Centre (Jubilee Site)
- Vicente Outlot D (natural area bordered by Westminster Dr., Hampstead Ct., Coppergate Rd. and Charing Cross Rd.)
- Vicente Outlot E – (natural area bordered by Gloucester Rd., Hampstead Ct, Vail Ln. Rutgers Dr., Hastings Rd. and Timber Trails Rd.)
- Westminster Park
- Windy Point Park
FALL ASPHALT WORK COMPLETED
Updated November 1, 2022 – Asphalt patching and resurfacing of various park paths and parking lots began on Friday, October 7th and continued through the month of October as weather conditions permitted. The contractor substantially completed all paving work during the final week of October, and all parking lots and paths included have been reopened for public use. Minor punch list and site clean-up items will be completed in November.
Sites completed:
- Audubon Path (between Foxtree Ave. & Killdeer St.)
- Castaldo Park Path
- Echo Point Park Parking Lot & Path
- Falconridge Park Parking Lot
- Fred C. Hohnke Community Center Parking Lot
- Lake Carleton (North) Path
- Patching of Various Bike Paths:
- ComEd Property (between 71st and 63rd Streets)
- Hawthorne Hill Woods
- Summerhill Park
Fred C. Hohnke Community Center Parking Lot WORK COMPLETE
Updated October 19, 2022 – Re-paving and re-striping of the Fred C. Hohnke Community Center parking started on Tuesday, October 11 and was completed and available for use on Wednesday, October 19.
Pathway connecting Ide’s West and East Parks open for use
August 25, 2022 – Construction of a multi-use paved pathway on the Nicor Easement connecting Ide’s Grove West Park to Ide’s Grove East Park, which began in mid-May, has been completed and the path is open for public use. On July 26, the 45-day long strike by heavy equipment operators at area quarries that had brought the development to a standstill was resolved. On August 5, the contractor resumed work on the project completing installation of the asphalt paving and returned later in August to complete site restoration efforts.
NEW PARK SHELTER AT WINDY POINT PARK READY FOR USE
July 13, 20122 – As a result of the damage incurred by the June 2021 tornado, the shelter at Windy Point Park is required a full replacement. The damaged shelter was removed on March 21st. Construction of a new shelter to be erected in the same location began on May 20th. Final finishes were completed and the new shelter was opened for public use on July 5th.
IDe’s grove west park restoration
June 17, 2022 – On June 8th, the District’s contractor removed remaining sections of an existing fence along the west perimeter of Ide’s Grove West Park that was damaged by the tornado.
On the morning of Saturday, June 11th, 58 volunteers attended the Community Planting Dan and assisted with the planting 164 native trees and shrubs. Prior to this event Park District staff planted an additional 146 larger trees for a total of 300 native trees and shrubs being planted in the woodland area so heavily damaged by the June 2021 tornado. The cost of the reforestation efforts was offset in part by grant funding totaling $4,000 including $3,000 from the nonprofit group Trees Forever through their “Recover, Replant, Restore!” grant program and an additional $1,000 from IDNR’s “Earth Day in the Parks” grant initiative sponsored by the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation and the Illinois Conservation Foundation. Generous donations plant materials and of supplies critical to the replanting efforts from local partners including Davey Expert Tree Company, Site One Landscape Supply, and the Morton Arboretum also helped to defray costs. Numerous residents donated trees to the effort. Staff will continue to preform regular maintenance on these plantings throughout the 2022 growing season including regular watering.
On June 17th the District’s contractor installed 24 replacement trees across the park site replacing landscape trees lost during the tornado. The cost of these 24 tree replacements were covered by the District’s insurance.
Boundary hill woods RESTORATION
Updated April 3, 2023 –On Sunday, April 2, a group of 18 volunteers from the DuPage County 4-H Club assisted Park District staff with the planting of 25 native oaks at Boundary Hill Woods, a site heavily impacted by June 2021 tornado. The mix of Bur, Red, and White Oaks in addition to bags of mulch for planting were a donation from the Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District. The planting of these 25 5-gallon oaks is a step toward restoring a site that saw the loss of an estimated 300 mature trees less than two years ago.