Northbrook Park District Awarded $600K Grant Through OSLAD Program

NORTHBROOK, IL — Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced this week $36 million in grant funding has been awarded to 67 local park projects, including one in Northbrook. The grants, awarded through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program, are intended to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities.

A $600,000 grant was awarded to the Northbrook Park District for renovations at Techny Prairie Park and Fields. The 113-acre public park is located at 1700 Techny Road.

According to the district, many of the park amenities were built in 2006 and are now reaching the end of their useful life.

"This busy community park offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities including baseball and softball fields, batting cages, turf athletic fields, fishing, golf, shelters, picnic areas, a playground, restrooms, a sled hill, naturalized areas and 2.4 miles of walking paths," NPD said on its website.

In addition, according to Pritzker's office, funding was set aside for the fourth straight year for economically distressed communities, resulting in 20 underserved communities receiving $11.4 million in OSLAD grants this year.

"As Governor, I'm committed to building stronger, healthier communities in Illinois. My administration continues to make critical investments that support underserved areas, and we’re proud to bring new recreational facilities and expanded green spaces to communities through the OSLAD program," Pritzker said.

OSLAD was established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1986. The cost-sharing program between state and local governments helps communities fund land acquisition and development for parks and outdoor recreation projects. It's become one of the most popular grant programs in Illinois, according to officials. Since its establishment, OSLAD has awarded $675 million for park projects throughout Illinois (including the awards announced Wednesday).