After a year of construction done in several phases, Taylor Park is officially open and ready for summer.
Despite chilly temperatures and some wind and rain last Saturday morning, about 50 people came out to the park at 400 Division St. to celebrate construction’s end and the park’s new beginning. Residents received Frisbees, heard speeches and witnessed a ribbon-cutting, said Diane Stanke, spokesperson for the Park District of Oak Park.
“It turned out to be a really nice day,” Stanke said, adding she’s gotten many compliments about the park so far.
When the work first began last April, the first priority was replacement of the six tennis courts, said Neil Adams, the park district’s project manager. He said the courts had been built in the 1960s and new layers of asphalt were placed on top of the old ones every 15 years or so. Due to cracking in the asphalt, the courts were demolished and rebuilt.
An ADA-accessible discovery playground area and a new picnic shelter were also built, Adams said. The 15-year-old equipment in the playground had served its time, he said, and a new climbing sphere and rock boulders were put in. The shelter and its benches are open for leisure use and might be used by camps during the summer, Adams added.
A wetland area in the park’s southeast corner was the last piece of the project to be completed after a bridge was installed in February. Adams said the idea came about during a master planning process since the area has always been a wet and muddy spot. The ridge that Ridgeland Avenue was named for allows water to pool there.
The wetland area will serve as a showcase of native plantings like purple coneflower, swamp milkweed and wool grass. Wetlands naturally occur in undeveloped areas, but are rare in cities, according to the park district. This one will filter storm water while it provides a habitat for wildlife.
The construction was done by Team REIL, a company based in Union, Adams said. Several other companies served as consultants for the project. The park district allocated $680,000 for its first phase through the capital budget. Dominican University and Fenwick High School also contributed $30,000 as part of an agreement for tennis court use, according to the park district.
They got an additional $400,000 from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant that Stanke said state Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) was instrumental in helping them secure. Harmon was among the attendees on Saturday.
Stanke said she talked with a couple who have been bringing their grandkids to the new playground, as well as regular walkers who like the new bridge.
“I’m grateful that people came out and that they like the park,” she said.