Governor Quinn Announces PARC Investments to 22 Communities, Creating 300 Jobs

CHICAGO – October 3, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that 22 communities across the state will be able to renovate and repair recreation facilities and build new facilities with support from the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program. The Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) Grant Program is providing $50 million in targeted investments to eligible local governments for acquisition, development, construction, rehabilitation or other capital improvements to park and recreation facilities in Illinois. The public works projects are expected to create more than 300 jobs.

“Investing in Illinois communities now is essential to growing our economy for years to come,” Governor Quinn said. “The PARC Program will help communities all over the state proceed on local initiatives that will boost local economic development and help improve the quality of life for all Illinois residents.”

The PARC Grant Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), reimburses grant recipients up to 75 percent of approved project costs with up to 90 percent reimbursement available to local governments defined as disadvantaged. Projects eligible under the program involve land acquisition for the construction of new, or expansion of existing, indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, and for open space and conservation purposes.

“Recreation is important to our health as individuals and our health as a community,” Lt. Governor Sheila Simon said. “In Carbondale, like cities across the state, many people worked together toward this opportunity to play together. Our state is a better place for their teamwork.”

“This is a great opportunity to improve the quality of life in communities throughout Illinois, not only in the long term but the short term as well by creating jobs to make these projects a reality,” IDNR Director Marc Miller said.

A list of the grant recipients is below. (A) denotes an acquisition project, and (D) denotes a development project.

(D) Arlington Heights Park District (Cook County) - $2,500,000 to renovate the over 30-year-old Camelot Park Recreation Center. (Contact: Brian Huckstadt, 847-577-3009)

(D) Burbank Park District (Cook County) - $2,475,000 to construct an addition to the existing Stevenson Park Recreation Center at Moody Avenue and 85th Street. (Contact: Bill Olsen, 708-599-2070)

(D) Carbondale Park District (Jackson County) - $2,500,000 to construct an outdoor aquatic center which will feature one leisure zero-depth entrance pool and one competition pool with a diving well. (Contact: Kathy Renfro, 618-529-4147)

(D) Carol Stream Park District (DuPage County) - $2,000,000 to construct a new 87,000 square foot LEED-certified community recreation center adjacent to Veterans Community Park near Gary and Lies Roads. (Contact: Arnie Biondo, 630-784-6150)

(D) Champaign Park District (Champaign County) - $2,500,000 to construct a 24,300 square foot recreation center in central Champaign at Centennial Park. (Contact: Terri Gibble, 217-398-2550)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $1,504,500 to rehabilitate the exterior and interior of the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse building. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $571,200 to renovate the Independence Park Fieldhouse at Springfield Avenue and Irving Park Road. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $2,498,300 to rehabilitate the exterior and interior of the South Shore Cultural Center at South Shore and 71st Street. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $964,500 to renovate the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems at Lincoln Park Conservatory in Lincoln Park. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $693,000 to renovate the Shabbona Park Fieldhouse at Addison Street and New England Avenue. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $604,500 to renovate the Mann Park Fieldhouse at 132nd and Exchange, which houses an indoor swimming pool and gym facility. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $90,800 to renovate a fieldhouse to improve accessibility at Moore Park Fieldhouse on Adams and Leamington. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Chicago Park District (Cook County) - $814,500 to renovate the mechanical, plumbing and electrical system at Calumet Park Fieldhouse. (Contact: Stephanie Gibbons, 312-742-4744)

(D) Country Club Hills (Cook County) - $203,600 to repair Provincetown Pool at Windsor Lane and Crawford Avenue. The pool and pool deck will be renovated and a shelter/restroom facility will be constructed. (Contact: Henrietta Turner, 708-206-2656)

(D) Elgin (Cook County) - $1,758,600 to renovate the 40,000 square foot Eastside Recreation Center off Route 19 at Woodview Drive. Renovations include upgrades to the building and site to increase recreation programming opportunities. (Contact: Randy Reopelle, 847-931-6127)

(D) Elmhurst Park District (DuPage County) - $1,840,500 to renovate Wilder Park Conservatory. In addition to structural restoration, the project includes replacement and upgrades to the outdated HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. (Contact: Richard Grodsky, 630-993-8900)

(D) Fairview Heights (St. Clair County) - $403,900 to renovate the existing recreation center on Bunkum Road and Library Drive. Renovations to the building interior include the pouring of a new floor, new restrooms, heating and cooling system, lighting and a small kitchen area. (Contact: Terry Wilson: 618-489-2041)

(D) Ford Heights (Cook County) - $495,000 to construct a new recreation center for sports activities and exercise programming. The facility will be located at the southeast corner of Joe Orr Road and Cottage Grove. (Contact: Charles R. Griffin, 708-758-3131)

(D) Glendale Heights (DuPage County) - $2,500,000 to renovate the 12 acre Recreation Campus which includes the Sports Hub Recreation Center and Aquatic Park. The campus is located at Bloomingdale Road and Fullerton Avenue. (Contact: Cecelia Sullivan, 630-260-6060)

(D) Hodgkins Park District (Cook County) - $2,475,000 to expand and renovate the Hodgkins Recreation Center on Lyons Street. (Contact: Kelly Millsap, 708-354-6563)

(D) Kankakee Valley Park District (Kankakee County) - $2,500,000 to expand the Ice Valley Centre located off of River Road. The new building will include a gymnasium, bleachers, locker rooms, storage areas, multipurpose and exercise room, bathrooms, and a mezzanine area. (Contact: Jim Romanek, 815-939-1311)

(D) Marion (Williamson County) - $2,500,000 to construct a new community recreation center off Main Street at the site of a former hospital. The building will have an indoor swimming pool, basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts, restrooms, locker rooms and wellness center office space. (Contact: Robert Butler, 618-997-6281)

(D) New Lenox Park District (Will County) - $2,500,000 to construct a new recreation center off Heather Glen Road. The new building will have a gymnasium, stage, learning kitchen, dance and fitness areas, and a wheelchair-accessible ball field. (Contact: Greg Lewis, 815-485-3584)

(D) Oak Lawn Park District (Cook) - $2,500,000 to add a fieldhouse/gymnasium to the recreation building in Centennial Park off Oak Park Avenue. The fieldhouse will have basketball courts, volleyball courts and restrooms. A new playground and picnic shelter will also be constructed at the site. (Contact: Maddie Kelly, 708-857-2225)

(D) Oak Lawn Park District (Cook) - $885,400 to renovate Centennial Park pool off Oak Park Avenue. The bathhouse roof will be repaired, and the interior will receive ADA modifications. (Contact: Maddie Kelly, 708-857-2225)

(D) Oregon Park District (Ogle County) - $1,528,500 to renovate Nash Recreation Center located on Madison Street. Renovations will include roof repair and the installation of rooftop solar panels and solar tubes. (Contact: Jim Coutts, 815-732-3101)

(A) Sandwich Park District (Kendall County) - $751,900 to acquire two acres of land off of Duvick Avenue that contains a 20,000-square foot warehouse that will be converted into the first recreation center for the district. (Contact: Steve Wolf, 815-786-8044)

(D) Skokie Park District (Cook County) - $2,500,000 to expand and renovate part of the Skokie Weber Center Skatium located on Church Street. Existing team rooms and shower rooms will be renovated. The lobby and administrative areas will be reconfigured. (Contact: Mark Schneiderman, (847-674-1500)

(D) Summit Park District (Cook County) - $2,500,000 for construction of a new recreation center. The building will have a gymnasium for basketball, volleyball and floor hockey. (Contact: Thomas Suhs, 708-496-1012)

(A) Wheaton Park District (DuPage County) - $2,441,300 to acquire 1.45 acres that contain a 20,000 square foot vacant building, which will be converted to a fieldhouse for recreational use. (Contact: Michael Benard, 630-510-4945)