River Forest’s Park District Board of Commissioners, Aug. 14, unanimously approved a $782,056 renovation to its headquarters at the Metra depot, 401 Thatcher Ave.
Construction is scheduled to begin in December and, if all goes well, will be finished by June 2018, in time for the district’s slate of summer programming, according to Executive Director Michael Sletten.
“It’ll be much more convenient to use,” Sletten said of The Depot. “The camps will be able to increase capacity. It will also open up the opportunity for us to do some adult fitness type programming.”
The planned renovations include a redesigned first floor plan which would free up more room for activities, including a 750-square-foot programming space. There would be a revamped lobby as well. The building would also be ADA accessible.
During the roughly half-year renovation project, district staff will relocate to an apartment building just north of The Depot, across a parking lot.
Programming during construction will be held at alternative sites throughout the village. Those sites, which could include space at District 90 buildings or the community center, will be determined by mid-October.
As reported by Wednesday Journal at the time, the park district has worked for several years to find space for expanded programming. In 2015, there were rumors of construction of new administrative offices attached to The Depot, freeing up space inside.
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