The ambiguous “opening spring 2013” question has been solved: Scoville Park, the historic landmark at Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue will officially re-open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 1.
The park opens just a day before the annual A Day in Our Village festival that’s held the first Sunday in June.
The 11-month renovation, which cost more than $2 million, was paid for partially by the Park District of Oak Park, but $1.6 million of the bill was paid through an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant.
The park board budgeted $725,000 for its part of the project.
Scoville’s redo comes with new tennis courts, a playground, interior pathways, a brick-paved plaza around the World War 1 monument and a permanent stage for entertainment on the south side of the park. Some additional decorative fences, new landscaping — including a plethora of new trees — and new family restrooms are features of the park.
The Scoville Master Plan project launched in 2010 when six focus groups were held to collect information on the current and future uses of Scoville Park. Community meetings were held in March and April of that year before preliminary concepts were presented.
A questionnaire was distributed to gather additional information before two more community meetings were held.
Between summer 2010 and the end of August, there were four park board meetings about the site plan before it was adopted.
Construction at the park began in August 2012.