In Park Ridge, 2024 will be the year when several long-planned projects, including fire station renovations and an ice rink upgrade at Oakton Park, are scheduled to break ground or begin, which will help shape what the city looks like in the future.
Also, several leadership changes will impact area school districts.
One of the most visible capital improvements comes from the Park Ridge Park District, which will break ground on the Oakton Park and Facilities project, which was approved in a November 2022 referendum allocating more than $33 million.
Programs at the current facilities, including the Oakton Ice Arena, will finish at the end of February, and an 18-month construction window will begin at the end of March. The new facilities and park improvements are expected to be open to the public toward the end of summer 2025.
“Major components of the project include renovation of the existing ice rink, adding a studio ice rink and adding an indoor turf field,” said Margaret Holler, marketing and public relations director of the Park Ridge Park District. “(There will also be) improvements to the driving range, a new dog park and new park amenities such as a walking path and gathering area.”
Hinkley Park is also undergoing some changes this year, thanks to a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The park will see the addition of a pavilion, accessible pathways, improved batting tunnels, a game area, rain gardens, the resurfacing of the basketball court and a new playground, according to Holler. Work is expected to be completed by the end of summer this year.
South Park also received an OSLAD grant — for $600,000 — which will go toward the renovation of the playground, adding a picnic shelter and restrooms, resurfacing three tennis courts and adding four pickleball courts. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring.
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Construction began on a new playground in Maine Park recently, and it’s expected to be completed this spring. The playground will feature an Illinois wetlands theme, Holler said, and will include a water feature, zip line and swings. A pavilion also is being added near the playground.
As 2023 ended, the Park District opened the new Wildwood Nature Center building in Maine Park, at 531 Forestview Avenue. It officially opened to the public on Dec.23 after a $750,000 renovation and will have regular hours of operation moving forward into 2024. The center features live animal exhibits, collections and the interactive Nature Nook playroom.
While the capital projects may be the most visible, the Park Ridge Park District is also expected to undergo a leadership change this year. Executive Director Gayle Mountcastle, who has led the park district for the last 13 years, is expected to retire in May.
“She has led major improvements that have resulted in incredible growth in facilities, programs and the acquisition of open space,” Holler said. “The Park Ridge Park District Board of Commissioners is currently working with GovHR USA to lead the recruitment and selection efforts for the Park District’s next executive director.”
The park district isn’t the only organization with significant leadership change. Maine Township High School District 207 announced on Dec. 20 that it’s hiring Tatiana Bonuma as its next superintendent. She will succeed Ken Wallace, who is retiring from the position following this school year. Bonuma will take over on July 1.
“I am honored and excited to join the Maine Township High School District 207’s administrative team,” she said in a statement on her appointment. “I look forward to working closely with all District 207 stakeholders as we shape the future of our schools.”
Bonuma is now the deputy superintendent of Leyden High School District 212.
The new superintendent isn’t the only expected change for District 207 in 2024. The district has nearly finished more than 50 capital improvement projects that cost about $250 million — funded from a 2018 referendum — including a new fieldhouse and a two-story cafeteria at Maine West High School, a renovated library at Maine East High School, and upgraded flooring, HVAC systems, and classrooms throughout the district. While most of the projects are finished, some “punch-list items” are left and should be finished early this year, according to Brett Clark, director of communications for District 207.
Other new projects on the docket for this summer include a new auditorium entrance at Maine East High School, new auditorium and athletic entrances at Maine South High School, and a new spectator gym entrance at Maine West High School.
At Park Ridge-Niles School District 64, Ben Collins took over as the new superintendent in July. In his first months there, he has worked on getting up to speed and planning what improvements must be made for the district moving forward.
“I’ve done a lot of work reviewing our safety procedures and master facilities plan,” Collins said. “Those two areas have been the source of much attention, and we look forward to upgrading our safety protocols for the 2024-25 school year. As we go through the process, we will share more with our families so everyone is on the same page.”
Upcoming capital projects for District 64 this year include improvements to the elementary schools’ gymnasium floors and external doorways. Both of these projects were approved in June 2023 by the school board.
“We are currently undertaking a full-scale master facilities plan that studies our space utilization, our organizational needs, and curricular initiatives,” Collins said. “There has been ongoing discussion about an addition at Lincoln Middle School to house two out-of-district programs that we currently outplace students.”
He said the administration will present details about the plan at the school board meeting on Jan. 25.
As for the city of Park Ridge, renovations for Fire Station 35 at Cumberland and Devon Avenues are expected to begin in 2024. 5th Ward Ald. Joseph Steinfels highlighted additional items in the planning stages that should see advancement in 2024.
“(We’re expecting) a new hotel on the south end of Park Ridge, at the old Mr. K’s site (1440 Higgins Road), continuing development of our central Uptown zone,” Steinfels said. “A renewed focus on the North Park and South Park commercial districts are just a few that will expand business and entertainment options within our community.
“We are also revisiting the Stormwater Master Plan with hopes to embark on large-scale infrastructure development to help homeowners threatened by flooding,” he said.
The City Council had also doubled its commitment to the alley-paving program.
“There are currently 49 unpaved alleys across Park Ridge, leaving hundreds of homeowners without usable alley throughways as well as confronting increased exposure to flooding of the property,” Steinfels said. “The Green Alley program effectively balances infrastructure development with environmental awareness, specifically stormwater retention. Accelerating the Green Alley program is a small but effective method of helping mitigate flooding while enhancing the quality of life for residents across the city.”
He’s also looking for ways to help the growing population of homeless people in Park Ridge.
“Unfortunately, it is a sign of the times that many are now unable to afford basic amenities and forced to seek assistance elsewhere or live on the street,” he said. “As our community is generous, it makes sense for many of the unhoused to arrive here.
“Illinois legislation has established a ‘homeless bill of rights,’ which protects individual liberties of those living on the streets, often regardless of mental health status or substance dependency,” he said. “As the temperature falls and the inherent danger of physical harm occurs, we as a community must balance those protections against safety and security. This is a delicate situation, and I have the utmost confidence in the professionals who comprise our city departments and agencies.”