Skokie Park District officials shared their newest plan for the 2020 Laramie Park renovation at a public hearing this week. The resident input will now help shape changes to some elements of the project before ground is broken next spring.

At this week’s hearing, Superintendent of Parks Corrie Guynn introduced the Hitchcock Design Group, who presented their latest conceptual design. The plan featured:

• An expansive state-of-the-art inclusive and accessible playground for ages 2-12
• A family fun area with an outdoor ping pong table and baggo toss games
• A gazebo/shelter with picnic tables, litter receptacles, benches, and drinking fountains
• Fitness stations
• Pickleball courts
• A rain garden
• Synthetic turf for the west baseball infield, as well as new back stops and dugouts
• An asphalt path that will loop around the park
• Additional parking
• The existing park shelter to remain
• The 2018 preliminary plan for a splash pad is no longer under consideration. Since the last public hearing, the Illinois Department of Public Health has changed the state swimming code and now requires a cost-prohibitive shower facility to be installed along with any splash pad.

View park & playground designs here.

As part of the Skokie Park District's five year master plan, residents gave initial input to preliminary designs at a public hearing in September 2018.

After this week’s presentation, residents expressed concerns about a new parking lot being considered for the park’s northeast corner and the removal of a tennis court for pickleball. As a result, the district will now look into expanded parking in another location and construction of separate pickleball courts, leaving both tennis courts intact.

The park district will utilize two state grants totaling $600,000, as well as budgeted district money to complete the project, with the total cost estimated to be $1.2 million.

The likely time frame for park improvement will be:

• Summer 2019 – design modifications based on public, board and staff input
• Early Fall 2019 – final design presentation at a Park Board meeting with approval to bid
• Winter 2019-20 – bidding and contract award
• Spring 2020 – construction begins

Design changes will be posted at skokieparks.org when they become available. For questions regarding the project, please email Corrie Guynn at cguynn@skokieparks.org.