Forest Preserve Board Votes To Acquire Hidden Oaks Nature Center

BOLINGBROOK, IL — The Forest District of Will County's Board of Commissioners recently voted to acquire the Hidden Oaks Nature Center and Hidden Lakes Historic Trout farm site in Bolingbrook, according to a release from the preserve.

If the Bolingbrook Park District Board also approves the sale on Nov. 18, the Forest Preserve would take ownership on Jan. 1, the preserve said.

The 30-acre parcel is located south of the preserve's Whalon Lake. A DuPage River trail bridge, completed in 2015, connects the two sites.

“Purchasing the Hidden Oaks Nature Center allows the Forest Preserve to expand its nature education and recreational programming into the communities of Bolingbrook and Naperville,” Ralph Schultz, the Forest Preserve District’s executive director, said in a release.

“When combined, the Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Hidden Lakes Trout Farm, Whalon Lake preserve and the DuPage River Trail will provide dozens of program opportunities,” Schultz added. “Almost all our programs and events are free to the public, and we’re thrilled at the chance to bring additional programming closer to home for the residents of Bolingbrook and surrounding communities.”

The park district was looking for ways to reduce long-term bond and interest debt in 2020 when the idea of approaching the Forest Preserve was proposed, Park District Executive Director Ron Oestreich said in a release.

The sale would guarantee that Hidden Oaks and Hidden Lakes will be preserved and kept open for public use by a larger organization that has more resources and is expert in environmental education and conservation, Oestreich said.

“Bolingbrook Park District is excited to be working with the Forest Preserve District of Will County on this transfer of property,” Oestreich added. “There are so many benefits of this for our community. We know the Forest Preserve will take what we started and enhance it for our residents for years to come!”

Reducing the Park District’s debt and operating expenses will allow the streamlined organization to focus on areas in which it excels, he added.

If the sale is approved, Hidden Lakes would reopen on April 1, and Hidden Oaks would reopen on July 1, the preserve said. A preschool that takes place in the nature center would be allowed to continue through May to close out the program for the year.

Hidden Lakes consists of four fishing ponds, which are adjacent to the east branch of the DuPage River, and a portion of the DuPage River Trail. Hidden Oaks Nature Center is around 7,000 square feet, and it serves as a central access area to the local and regional trail systems. The center features a large pavilion with a fireplace, an outdoor amphitheater, a bait shop, a green roof and historical and nature exhibits, according to the preserve.

The purchase price approved by the Forest Preserve Board is $2.7 million, payable in three installments starting at the end of this year, the preserve said. The money will come from the Forest Preserve’s reserve fund.

Lynn Kurczewski, the Forest Preserve’s director of visitor services, said if the acquisition is approved by the Park Board and the sale goes through, the Forest Preserve would construct a new bait shop and reconfigure the interior space at Hidden Oaks to include a larger exhibit gallery, a new reception area and a larger rental space upstairs. The site also would get additional parking, new signage, an expanded trail system and new campus exhibits.

The combined sites of Whalon Lake, Hidden Lake and Hidden Oaks would be able to offer a wide variety of family programs and rental packages, Kurczewski added.

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