Wheeling Park District Park Improvement Projects
The “people driven” redevelopment process at Heritage Park is on schedule to make the “ Signature Park” a reality. After years of planning, construction will begin in March of 2012 and is expected to be completed by December of 2013.
Funded almost entirely through the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) as part of a flood control project, some of the new amenities include a new athletic complex with three artificial turf baseball fields and one football/soccer field and centrally-located Concession Building with restrooms; bandshell with natural amphitheater seating; pavilion with lake overlook; Wolf Road entrance; more conveniently-located parking; walking paths looping the entire park; new entry plazas; new playground and basketball and tennis courts, and new site amentities.
On August 19, 2008, the full Board of Commissioners approved the final concept for the project.
The concept took shape at the hands of the Heritage Park Advisory Committee who met for an evening design workshop on Thursday, April 10, 2008. Committee members, including residents, a Park commissioner, a Park staff member, and representatives from the Village of Wheeling, School District 21, Wheeling High School, and Indian Trails Public Library, broke into small groups and formulated their ideas into three distinct design concepts for the new Heritage Park. All three reflected Committee members’ desires to realign the baseball fields, keep the detention pond on Wolf Road, enhance the lake, and relocate the playground and basketball and tennis courts on the 98 acres of park land in addition to adding more parking within the park.
Park District staff translated the design intent of the plans into presentation concepts that worked with the restrictions of the site. This allowed the community to view the drawings at a public forum held at the Community Recreation Center on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Those in attendance heard an explanation of the three designs and gave their input. Anyone unable to attend the forum had an opportunity to see the presentation boards in the lobby of the CRC, at Indian Trails Public Library, and on the Wheeling Park District Web site and offer their comments.
All community input was reviewed in order for the Staff Advisory Committee to produce the final plan that was presented to, and approved by, the Future Planning Committee of Wheeling Park Board on July 15, 2008.
The redevelopment of Heritage Park is the largest single project undertaken by the Wheeling Park District and is a major initiative in the Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan Report. The internal planning process for the redevelopment of Heritage Park began last summer with the site inventory and analysis of the land. Eight of the acres were acquired in August of 2007 in a swap with the Village of Wheeling for the six acres on Dundee Road where the new Village Hall is now under construction. An additional 10 acres were acquired from St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church with an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
Click here to view the Heritage Park Master Plan
Meadowbrook Tot Lot Renovation
The very first park purchased by the Wheeling Park District in 1962 is getting a major upgrade.
As part of the Wheeling Park District's commitment to our community and neighborhood parks, the play structure at Heritage Park has been removed and will be placed at Meadowbrook Tot Lot which is located at Nancy Lane and Manchester Drive, about one block south of Heritage Park.
However, the play structure is only one part of the exciting new changes planned for Meadowbrook Tot Lot. New tot swings also will be installed in addition to new benches, trash/recycling receptacles, bike racks, and a new park sign. The new playground will be accessible to adults and children of all abilities with a new sidewalk leading to the playground and, an ADA accessible safety surface that looks like grass.
The Park District plans to begin construction of the playground in March (weather permitting) and have all improvements completed by the beginning of May.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Larry Raffel, Superintendent of Planning, at (847) 465-7772.