More Splashing, Singing Headed to Gordon Park as Board Approves Plans

Improvement plans for Gordon Park—five years in the making—got a unanimous seal of approval at Monday’s La Grange Village Board meeting.

The board’s vote opens the door for a band shell, butterfly garden, soccer fields and other amenities to sprout from the park—as well as for more visitors to make use of those features.

Trustee Jeff Nowak said he hopes that conversations continue about how to improve pedestrian safety around the park. The park district, he said, has indicated that it doesn’t expect an increase in traffic, but he believes the area will become busier.

“I’d ask you to be proactive in identifying various ways we can keep people safe and communicate those things to our residents when they are visiting a new Gordon Park,” he said.

Trustee Jim Palermo said that he’s happy that the plans include additional parking along Hazel Avenue.

“The quality as well as the location of parking is very important to people who use the various facilities around La Grange,” he said. “Adding parking will be a great addition.

The village attempted to jumpstart the park’s redevelopment in 2008 by requesting funds from the developer of the YMCA property that overlooks the park. That project never happened.

Initial plans for the park were approved in 2010, but the Park District of La Grange decided to scrap that draft and filed a new proposal in November 2012.

“I was hoping to take my toddler children to the splash pads,” Nowak joked. “I now hope to take my adolescent children to that splash pad.”

A debate between the village and the park district over a “pencil tip” of land held up the project this winter. The park district agreed a few weeks ago to transfer that property to the village for future improvements to the intersection at Ogden and Locust.