Northbrook's $1.9M West Park Renovation To Add Playground, Multi-Sport Court This Year

NORTHBROOK, IL — A $1.9 million renovation of West Park is scheduled to begin in mid to late May, with completion expected in the fall, according to the Northbrook Park District.

The 24-acre park at 1730 Pfingsten Road, behind the Northbrook Sports Center, is set for upgrades that include a new playground, a multi-sport court, replacement courts and added trail connections.

The project will include a new playground with increased accessibility, ramped play areas and a synthetic turf safety surface, along with a new picnic shelter near the playground. Plans also call for replacement of three tennis courts and one sand volleyball court, a new multi-sport court featuring hockey and basketball, and new amenities such as benches, garbage and recycling cans, and a drinking fountain with a bottle filler and dog bowl.

The park district said the work also will add trail segments along the parking lot to create a two-thirds of a mile continuous loop within the park. New native planting areas are also planned along the trail.

The project is funded through the Northbrook Park District's capital reserve fund and a $600,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

According to James Kim, director of parks and properties for the district, West Park sees heavy use because of its sports features and its location near the Northbrook Sports Center complex, which includes indoor ice rinks and an outdoor pool.

"The playground is the second oldest in Northbrook and the tennis courts are the oldest in our inventory, so the park is due for an upgrade," West said. "The new playground will be themed, and we are creating a continuous loop for walkers around the park, which we believe the community will enjoy."

According to the park district, the renovation plan was based on evaluation of community priorities and feedback, including public input surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025. The plan also includes removal of some invasive and declining trees and planting 17,000 square feet of naturalized areas with 23 species of native seed and 13 native plant plug species.

Tree planting is scheduled to begin at the end of the project in the fall and resume in spring 2027, with species and locations determined by the Northbrook Park District’s urban forestry management plan.

During construction, the narrow parking area between the playground and the Sports Center on the back side of the building will be closed. The main parking lot areas will remain open, and access to the Sports Center and pool will not be affected. Project updates are available at nbparks.org/projects.