Naperville Voters Weigh $120M Park District Bond Referendum Question: Election 2026

NAPERVILLE, IL — On Tuesday, Naperville voters will weigh in on a $120 million bond referendum question from the Naperville Park District to help fund a new indoor recreation center at Frontier Sports Complex.

The funds would also be used to purchase open space land for nature trails and conservation.

Initially, the park district had proposed six projects to be funded by the $120 million bond, but eliminated four projects after feedback from residents.

The proposed bond amount was $135 million at first, but was adjusted to $120 million after the park district scaled back its proposed projects following feedback from residents.

The question will appear as follows on the ballot:

"Shall the Naperville Park District, DuPage and Will Counties, Illinois, improve parks and facilities, including constructing a multipurpose indoor activity center at Frontier Sports Complex, which would provide fitness and exercise rooms, walking and jogging track, gymnasiums, indoor swimming pools and rooms for programs and community activities, and acquiring land for the purpose of preserving, restoring, and maintaining open spaces and extending trails, and issue its bonds to the amount of $120,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?"

The park district voted in December to add the bond referendum question to the March 17 ballot. The decision came after a series of surveys and community open houses.

It's estimated the tax impact to residents will be approximately $117 annually for houses that have a $500,000 fair market value.

In a video shared in October, Naperville Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said the last time voters approved funding for the park district was in 1966, which was when the district was established.

"The community has spoken clearly that it would like more of what the district has to offer," Wilson said. He said these priorities include more opportunities to participate in park district programs.

Wilson said the district also hopes to "ease overall capacity challenges." He mentioned that activities at Frontier Sports Complex currently had waitlists of 1,000 or more participants.

Proposed upgrades for the new indoor recreation center would include indoor pools, two new play areas for children, gyms with walking and running tracks, exercise rooms and activity rooms.

Click the link to see more details about proposed projects and learn more about Naperville Park District's $120 million bond referendum.