The Plainfield Park District continues to work to improve your parks, facilities, and open space.
Some of the metrics used to identify projects to be completed this planning cycle include:
- age/condition in relation to recommended life expectancy
- identified master plan projects and community input
- grants and additional funding
- requests related to health and safety
- recommendations from the District’s ADA transition plan
- requests identified in a previous capital plan
- The projects below are those the District has determined to be the most important.
5-Year Capital Improvement Plan
2024 Capital Projects
Caton Ridge, located at the intersection of Meadowridge Drive and Park Ridge Drive in the Caton Ridge Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2024.
- Playground renovation
- ADA access enhancements
- Shelter refurbishing
- Court resurfacing
- Site furnishings
- Landscaping
Caton Ridge West, located at the intersection of Great Ridge Drive and Vail Ridge Drive in the Caton Ridge Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2024.
- Playground renovation
- ADA access enhancements
- Shelter refurbishing
- Site furnishings
- Landscaping
Cambridge Run, located on Frontier Lane between Sumac Drive and Mustang Road in the Cambridge Run Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2024.
- Playground renovation
- ADA access enhancements
- Shelter refurbishing
- Court repurposing to practice pickleball area
- Site furnishings
- Landscaping
Heritage Oaks, located at 24820 Heritage Oaks Drive in Plainfield in the Heritage Oaks Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2024.
- Playground renovation
- ADA access enhancements
- Shelter replacement
- Site furnishings
- Landscaping
- 127th Street Normantown Trail Extension
- 24909 W. Renwick Engineering for Trail
- Bentley Property Trail Engineering
- Engineering for Van Horn to Riverside South bridge relocation
- Miscellaneous Professional Consulting Services
- PARC Locker Room Sectionals
- NTEC Indoor Arena Refurbishing
- PARC long term maintenance fund
Acquisition and Development of trail connections throughout the District, featuring:
- Land Acquisition of key properties along the DuPage River
- Normantown 127th St North Extension
- 24909 Renwick Trail Connection
Wheatland Park, acquired in 2023 via inter-governmental transfer from Wheatland Township, is located on 127th St., just east of Route 59. The community park will receive a variety of improvements in 2024, thanks in part to a $377,500 grant.
Existing Park
- Playground Renovation
- Access improvements
- Shelter improvements
- Site improvements
OSLAD Park Expansion
- Nature Play Tot Lot
- Trail Loop
- Fitness Pods
- Dog Park
- Rain Garden
- Sports Complex Improvements
- Four Seasons – east side CXT Restroom
- Rob Ayers – LED Sports lighting retrofit
- Quail Run Access and Court Resurfacing
- Tamarack Settlement Paths and Court Resurfacing
- Van Horn Woods East parking lot and driveway
- PARC Paver replacement (labor only)
- Electric Park Shelter Renovation
- NTEC Driveway and Storage Area stone stabilization
- Mather Woods East Shelter Renovation
- Riverside Canoe Launch Retaining Wall & Landscaping
2023 Capital Projects
Champion Creek, located at 24100 W. Champion Drive in Plainfield in the Champion Creek Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2023.
- The 7.58-acre park is set to receive:
- Updated play equipment (shown below)
- Resurfaced half basketball court with a new goal and net
- Fresh paint job on the existing shelter
- New site furniture and picnic table
- Landscape additions
- New backstop in the same location
- Partial sidewalk replacements and ramps for ADA upgrades
The Park District received and evaluated all playground surveys for the renovation and thanks all residents who participated in providing valuable feedback. Based on the everyone’s responses, Option 2 (shown below and with some revisions) was chosen.
Construction is scheduled to begin in October.
As housing developments are revitalized and initiated, the Park District will begin to receive new park sites and amenities over the next few years.
The first ones that are expected are at Creekside Crossing South and the Trails at Springbank. These sites were recently graded and seeded, and it is possible they will be conveyed to the District this summer. If so, then play equipment will likely be installed in late 2023 or spring 2024 depending on lead times.
Other developments that are in progress and will add parks and playgrounds to the District include Bronk Farms and Willow Run. Additional developments are in the design/agreement stage.
Cumberland Park, located at 6901 Gallatin Drive in Plainfield in the Cumberland Subdivision, will receive a variety of improvements and upgrades in 2023.
The 2.6-acre park is set to receive:
- Updated play equipment
- Fresh paint job on the existing shelter
- New site furniture and picnic table
- Landscape additions
- Partial sidewalk replacements and a ramp for ADA upgrades
The Park District received and evaluated all playground surveys for the renovation and thanks all residents who participated in providing valuable feedback. Based on the responses, Option 1 (shown below) was determined to best meet the needs of the community.
Construction is scheduled to begin in late May/early June.
Stewardship
Hazardous trees were cut down or pruned across all trail locations early in 2022. Invasive species will be removed this winter.
East Shelter Repairs/Roofing
The east shelter will receive a metal roof to match the other shelters on site. In addition, a number of the support posts will be replaced.
Paving and sealcoating bids have been separated to allow for better control on the timing and possible cost savings by getting contractors that specialize more on one scope of work.
The sealcoating bid was awarded at the April 12th Board of Commissioners meeting. Sealcoating will be done throughout the District, including parking lots at Bott/PARC, Ottawa Street Pool & Eaton Preserve; and trails at Four Seasons, Norman Greenway (south trails), Clearwater Springs, Mather Woods and other sites.
The Paving bid is being finalized and will be bid in May for June award.
Four seasons
LED upgrades to the sports lighting were completed in spring, and a new CXT Double Cascadian Waterless Vault Restroom was installed in February.
In addition, limestone screenings were replenished at the main ballfield quad outside the paved areas, and stone with limestone screenings added behind the new backstop area at Four Seasons West/Avery. The new dugout areas at Four Seasons Field #3 and at both fields at Four Seasons West will be improved with shade covers.
Other possible improvements include additional paved trails, budget permitting.
Legends Fields
LED upgrades may be completed on this site for the soccer fields. A CXT restroom is being designed and ordered, and may be installed this year or next spring, depending on lead times.
The Ponds, located at 13021 Denise Street in The Ponds Subdivision of Plainfield, is set for a renovation in 2023.
The 5.56-acre park will receive:
- Updated play equipment
- Resurfaced half basketball court with new goal and net
- Modern new shelter
- New site furniture
- Fence repairs
- Landscape additions
- Partial sidewalk replacements and ramps for ADA upgrades
The Park District received and evaluated all playground surveys for the renovation and thanks all residents who participated in providing valuable feedback. Based on the responses, Option 2 (shown below) was chosen (with some revisions).
Construction is scheduled to begin in August.
In July of 2022, the Plainfield Park District was awarded an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the amount of $400,000 for the redevelopment of Van Horn Woods.
OSLAD grants provide up to one-half of a project’s funds, with the rest of the funding coming from the Plainfield Park District’s capital and special recreation funds.
The primary objectives of the 87-acre Van Horn Woods development project are to:
- Enhance the natural amenities already on site
- Improve accessibility throughout
- Expand recreational and educational opportunities
Project elements are to include:
- Replacement of the playground at Van Horn Woods East
- Fishing pier improvements
- Shoreline restoration
- Fitness pods
- Permanent fixtures at the bike park
- Pollinator garden
- Disc golf course
- Expanded trails throughout
The playground will have a special inclusive focus for children on the Autism spectrum.
This project will be bid in phases with bidding starting in the spring/summer of 2023 and work beginning in the summer/fall of 2023 and completing by the summer of 2024.
