A design competition begun in March for a replacement of Oak Park’s Field Center operated by the Park District is now the focus of a bit of controversy of its own.
At a recent meeting of the Park District of Oak Park (PDOP), some residents expressed concern about the cost, possible loss of trees and possible traffic that would be generated by the $2.8 million replacement to the Field Center. Park district officials sought to ease these concerns and promised further discussion.
The current Field Center located at 935 Woodbine Ave was built in 1926 and is considered obsolete. The competition for its replacement drew 26 submissions. Patrick Brown was chosen to be the designer of the new building, which will be double the size of the existing building. Brown is the founder of ORG Inc., a Chicago-based studio that specializes in construction and design.
The park department noted in its press release that a design contest was similarly held for the original building, with one of the entries submitted by Frank Lloyd Wright. However, he fell short of victory to John Van Bergen.
The new building will be 4,600 square feet, making it twice as large as the current one. This would allow for an increase in afterschool programs and activities. Also, Field Park will continue to have playgrounds, which will be located both east and south of the building, and an area for play on the west side.
Brown’s plan was introduced at a PDOP meeting on Oct. 23 with community members in attendance. The support for the new structure varied. Attendees voiced concerns about the cost of the new structure, heightened traffic and a hindrance to the park’s green space.
Jan Arnold, the executive director of PDOP, addressed these concerns.
“It’s not a new tax that will come onto anyone for this facility,” she said.
For worries about traffic, Arnold believes that it would be minimized with a larger Field Center, as more parents would be picking their kids up from afterschool programs at 6 p.m., lessening the immediate afterschool rush.
Also, the PDOP does not take nature hindrances lightly, she said.
“We agree, trees are important,” said Arnold. “For every tree that we have to remove, we plant two in its place.”
Arnold encouraged the attendees to provide their email addresses to stay informed of the Park District’s course of action on constructing the new Field Center.
“We will make sure that we email those folks directly to let them know about any upcoming conversations so that they can see how we are incorporating their feedback,” she said.
According to Arnold, last week’s community meeting was the first time PDOP heard negative feedback about the new Field Center. Nonetheless, the PDOP is taking these criticisms into consideration.
“We need to make sure that what we’re offering is something that can serve all of our community,” she said.
Other meeting attendees, such as Oak Park resident Michael Chitwood, voiced support for the structure’s change.
“I appreciate the time and effort that you’ve put into this,” Chitwood said. “There’s people that will benefit from this project.”
The new building will be located at the northwest corner of the park for parents and seniors to minimize walking distance during afterschool program pickup.
The Park District was planning on holding its next community meeting in February. However, considering the recent meeting, it may hold another meeting sooner.
Arnold said that their afterschool programs, one of which is held at the Field Center, are a popular asset to the Oak Park community. With participants ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade, these programs offer games, activities, and crafts until 6 p.m. on school days.
She also mentioned the possibility of holding other programs at the Field Center, such as games for seniors or a mom-and-tot program.
The inside of the building will consist of a classroom, restrooms accessible to the public and storage, with the play area within eyesight. More notably, the space will have a stage. The stage will serve as an asset to PDOP performing arts courses and will be the first time they have their own stage.