For as long as memory exists, or nearly so, the park district in River Forest has sought more space, indoor space for year-round programs, for after-school programs, for seniors. One plan was thwarted by voters in an angry referendum years back.
Part of that voter upset was the idea of the park district seeking to take property off the tax rolls while a rivalry of sorts continued between the parks and the township backers of the River Forest Community Center. Voters wanted no part of that spat.
A few years ago the River Forest parks had ultimately unproductive talks with its Oak Park parks counterpart about sharing a contemplated community center that would be built in Oak Park. One factor in walking away was the park district board’s conclusion that River Foresters didn’t want to cross Harlem Avenue.
Now we are in this curious situation. Village government, the township, the parks, and Opportunity Knocks, a longtime nonprofit tenant at the community center, are having early discussions about how that Madison Street building might be best utilized, what collaboration might look like.
No one knows the outcome of those facilitated discussions. Yet.
But with expansion or rebuilding of the center on its current site among the options, it is possible the park district’s needs might be partially or largely met.
Meanwhile in an intriguing turn, the landlocked park district has a second possibility to consider. As we report today, the West Cook YMCA has approached the park district about a collaboration with the Y’s ambitious plan to purchase the former Menard’s Home Center on North Avenue in Melrose Park.
The YMCA is an organization on a mission and we’re not betting against them pulling this off with River Forest parks and other entities as partners. The park district has explained what it needs in a new facility — high school-sized gym, meeting/programming space. Unclear at this point, says Mike Sletten, the park’s executive director, is whether the Y and the parks can agree on a range of other access issues within the larger facilities.
The park board is interested enough to explore the issue, though its president, Ross Roloff, makes the point that if River Foresters would hesitate to cross Harlem for a community center, how open will they be to loop around Thatcher Woods to Melrose Park?
That said, it must be nice for the park district to have options.
