Blair Park Playground and Artesian Park Playground in Lake Bluff to Get Upgrades

Two different Lake Bluff playgrounds at Blair Park and Artesian Park await a major transformation.

On Aug. 4, The Park District Board of Commissioners will hold a public meeting to read the bids received aloud to the public, said Ed Heiser, the superintendent of facility services. The staff will then evaluate the bid and manage reference checks. At the regular board meeting on Aug. 15, the Park Board will accept a bid and award a contract.

Hitchcock Design Group of Naperville designed the new playgrounds and will also oversee construction. It used a portion of a $3.1 million referendum that voters approved in November 2014, which includes projects at the Lake Bluff Pool, Sunrise Park and Beach, Artesian Park, Blair Park, Knollwood Parks and the Recreation Center.

The budget for the projects at Artesian and Blair Parks is $612,6900, Heiser said. The money is going toward the new playgrounds, repairs to walking paths, and to resurface tennis courts and parking lots at Artesian Park.

The playgrounds will have swings, slides and monkey bars. Additionally, the new playgrounds will be 8 to 12 feet taller than the previous playgrounds.

"There has been a renaissance in playground design to make things look intimidating. It's a way to develop aspects of a young brain and give them a sense of conquering something,” Heiser said to the Chicago Tribune.

The playground at Artesian Park will be wheelchair-friendly. There will be 4-foot mounds adjacent to and leading to the playground, which enable those in wheelchairs to have direct access the playground.

The renovation is right on time. Heiser told the Chicago Tribune that the average playground lasts 15 to 20 years. Blair Park playground is about 15 years old, and Artesian Park playground is over 20 years old.