Voters in Park Ridge and a portion of Niles will consider, in the Nov. 8 election, a referendum for a $33.4 million set of upgrades to Park Ridge Park District facilities, covering renovations to the Oakton Ice Arena and the construction of an indoor turf field, among other updates.
The park district’s ask comes almost a year after the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education voted to borrow $25.9 million for renovations needed to offer full-day kindergarten. Because of rising construction costs, the price for those renovations climbed to $38.8 million by 2022. The park district and school district cover roughly the same geographic area.
At a Park District-led information session Oct. 14, District Executive Director Gayle Mountcastle cast the request as a bid to keep Park Ridge residents looking for recreation and exercise closer to home.
“We know a lot of our residents… are leaving Park Ridge for indoor practice, indoor games,” she said. “We’re trying to get people back into Park Ridge to use those facilities. Practice space is a big deal in the winter months and when it rains.”
District leadership also said the facility would eventually pay for itself and generate more money than it had cost.
“We did analysis on the potential financial performance of this facility and not only will it cover the ongoing capital replacement needs of the facility over time, it will generate an additional surplus to help pay for other future capital improvements district-wide,” Mountcastle said.
If voters approve this referendum, Mountcastle said construction would begin in 2024 and complete in 2025.
One of the most pressing items on the district’s list of upgrades is replacing the mechanical system for the ice rink at Oakton Ice Arena, Mountcastle said.
The refrigerant used to cool the ice rink, R-22, is getting phased out of production, necessitating a replacement of the mechanical system, which Mountcastle said is 25 years old and “past its useful life.” The dasher board and bleachers would also be replaced if voters said “yes” to the referendum.
The type of refrigerant the park district would use instead of R-22 is still up in the air, Mountcastle said, but will get further scrutiny if the project is approved.
The referendum would also fund a secondary ice rink for lessons and parties, as well as replacement bathrooms and locker rooms, changes to make the building more accessible to people with disabilities and an update for the parking lot.
Mountcastle noted that the question of whether and how to do upgrades to the facilities at Oakton and throughout the rest of the Park District has been a five-year process, involving a working group and multiple surveys.
At the June meeting when Park District trustees made the final move to send the ballot question to voters, some trustees pushed back against the size and scope of the project and argued it should focus only on the upgrades at Oakton.
The estimated cost of the project rose to $36.9 million by June, though the $33.4 million request of taxpayers has held steady. If approved, the Park District plans to draw $3.2 million from its capital fund to cover the difference.
Commissioner Joan Bende pointed out at that meeting that the higher cost of the project would mean the owners of a home around the median value of $437,000 would pay an extra $136 in property taxes to finance the project.
Commissioners Rob Bowe, Cindy Grau and Bende voted against sending the proposal to voters while President Jenny LaDuke and Commissioners John Tunnell, Melissa Hulting and Matt Coyne voted yes.
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Beyond the upgrades at Oakton Ice Arena, the referendum would also enable work on a number of other projects as well.
“While we’re focusing on Oakton Park and facilities, this is really a benefit for the entire district as a whole,” Mountcastle said.
These include a 60 by 60-yard indoor turf field, which Mountcastle said “has been the top-requested request from our residents in several studies we have done over the last few years,” new restrooms, concession options, multipurpose rooms, a patio with a fireplace, new netting at the Oakton driving range and a new walking path around the perimeter of Oakton Park.
Mountcastle said these kinds of changes would allow the park district to offer “drop-in play” hours and expand its in-house athletic programs while offering families a place to practice and play sports that was closer to home.
Mountcastle said that should the project be approved, the district would continue asking citizens for their input as construction got underway.
“We definitely are committed to having these public conversations during design and development,” she said.
Early voting opens Oct. 24 at Park Ridge City Hall. The Park Ridge Park District will host several more in-person information sessions on the referendum and proposed plans on Oct. 19 at Prospect Park, Oct. 24 at Centennial Activity Center, Oct. 26 at Oakton Ice Arena and Nov. 5 at Centennial Park.