Community Corner
$600K State Grant To Help Pay For Towne Park Upgrades
Renovations, which are set to start in 2024, including a new, inclusive playground, picnic shelter and ping pong table.
ALGONQUIN, IL — The village of Algonquin has received a $600,000 state Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant, which will help cover the costs to redevelop Towne Park.
The initial phase of improvements at Towne Park, tentatively scheduled to begin in 2024, will include a large, inclusive playground; picnic shelter; looped trail with accessible connection to all improvements; ping pong table; chessboard picnic tables; scenic overlooks; and permeable and memorial paver areas.
“With the reconstruction of Towne Park, we are not only creating a new gathering space, but also preserving the memories and experiences that make it a special place for our community,” said village president Debby Sosine. "The village board's unwavering leadership and commitment to fiscally responsible park improvement was essential to make the vision for Towne Park a reality."
Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Towne Park was identified as a priority park improvement site by residents and stakeholders in the village’s Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan, which was adopted in 2021. The 7.6-acre Towne Park is located at 100 Jefferson Street in Algonquin.
The local match for the initial phase of improvements at Towne Park is estimated at $1.6 million, with the OSLAD grant providing an additional $600,000 to the project. The second phase of improvements at Towne Park, which is also scheduled to begin in 2024, will consist of an embankment play area, renovated restroom building, new restroom building and picnic shelter, new bandshell, and a riverwalk connection.
Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The total project cost of both phases of work is projected to be $4.3 million, according to a news release.
The OSLAD program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and can provide up to one-half of a project’s funds to support local parkdevelopment projects and land acquisitions statewide, according to the news release.
Since 2020, the village has secured $1.4 million of OSLAD funding for improvements to Algonquin’s parksystem.
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