From the Villahe of Fox River Grove:
Village of Fox River Grove Receives Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Grant for Developing Public Parks and Outdoor Recreational Space
FOX RIVER GROVE – The Village of Fox River Grove is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as part of a competitive process that distributed over $55 million to 100 communities.
The grant will be used for improvements to Lions Park, a 6-acre community park located along the south bank of the Fox River.
Lions Park has long served as a gathering spot for the Fox River Grove community.
The substantial capital investment provided by the OSLAD grant of $600,000 and Village matching funds of almost $1.3 Million will facilitate the replacement of aging improvements, as well as the addition of several new features.
The improvements include new tennis / pickleball courts, new half basketball courts, the replacement of the existing picnic pavilion and playground, additional parking, a new open-air shelter, regrading and seeding the baseball / soccer fields, and additional trails. Design and preliminary engineering on the Lions Park improvements will be completed in 2025, with construction to occur in 2026.
The grant award is the culmination of several years of planning by the Village. In early 2022, the Village Board budgeted funds for the creation of master plans for the Village’s two major parks along the Fox River (Lions Park and Picnic Grove Park), and engaged a consultant to create a plan that incorporate the Parks Commission’s recommendations. Initial plans were shared at an open house, and drafts were modified to incorporate community feedback. The updated plans were then reviewed by the Parks Commission and Village Board prior to final modification and adoption. The final plans can be viewed at foxrivergrove.org/parks-master-plans.
“We are thrilled with the announcement of the OSLAD grant for improvements at Lions Park,” said Village President Marc McLaughlin. “This award is a testament to a collaborative process years in the making and the Village’s allocation of matching funds reflects our continued commitment to investment in the parks.”
