Amphitheater, New Playground Among Proposed Paulus Park Improvements

An amphitheater, treehouse-themed playground and floating dock are on the list of potential improvements at Paulus Park.

The Lake Zurich Park & Recreation Advisory Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to send the Phase II plan for Paulus Park on to the Village Board. The Village Board will be asked to approve the Park & Recreation Department's request to apply for a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development matching grant to fund a portion of the improvements.

The proposed improvements to Paulus Park, whose costs tentatively total $997,046, include:

• The addition of Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible nature trails.
• Construction of an ADA-accessible floating dock.
• Construction of an outdoor amphitheater.
• Addition of interpretive, educational signs.
• Addition of a larger pavilion to accommodate 100 to 150 people.
• Restoration of wetlands.
• Replacement of the existing "Kids Kingdom" playground and the contraction of a treehouse-themed playground.

Michael Perkins, director of the Park & Recreation Department, said the existing playground is "very old and it's deteriorating more than the community knows."

He said park department officials decided that if the playground were to be replaced, it should be replaced with something really nice.

"The hope is that the community will like what they're going to see," said Perkins.

The next step, Perkins said, is to apply for the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant. The application must be submitted by July 1.

Editor's note: For information about other park improvements under the proposed master plan, see this story.

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