Birch Park Project Awarded OSLAD Grant
HEParks was awarded a $225k OSLAD grant for improvements at Birch Park on January 17 by Governer Pritzker and the States of Illinois.
In 2019 the park district acquired a parcel of land from School District 54 adjacent to Birch park after the removal of Twin Brooks school at the site. This heavily used park currently contains an older Landscape Structures brand playground and practice soccer fields. A recent study revealed the need for additional accessible walking, park amenities and open green space in this established section of Hoffman Estates. This project supports the HEParks mission and will provide free outdoor recreation and wellness activities to members of the community.
This Birch Park Project will take two years to complete. The first year is spent on planning, permitting and bidding. Construction begins in 2021.
Planned improvements include:
- Proposed 0.33 mile, eight-foot-wide mixed-use paths as the neighborhood currently lacks designated pedestrian infrastructure.
- A drinking fountain/pet station will be added as well to serve varying users.
- The cyclical walking and biking path will converge at our 2-5 and 5-12 playground structures.
- The plan supports conservation efforts by including a bio-swale and planned butterfly habitat.
- The site will also have a diverse population of trees and native plant species that support habitat conservation for pollinators.
- An open-air shelter for party rentals and shade will be within access of the play structures and have a view of the new multipurpose field.
- In regards to athletics, the existing soccer field will be renovated and re-configured to accommodate multiple types of field sports while providing open green space during inactivity.
- Half-court basketball will also be developed on the site with asphalt games incorporated into the play surface.
