After receiving authorization from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the Skokie Park District is now growing grass on 6.5 acres of the recently-remediated 17.4 acre MWRD property at McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street, with the intention of programming soccer and cricket.
"The new turf is already long and thick," said Superintendent of Parks Mike Rea, "and is set to be ready for play in the fall of 2018."
Rea said that the new 'Sports Park East' fields will allow the turf on the district’s many other soccer fields to be given a rest at times throughout the year. The park will feature four soccer fields, with a cricket pitch in the middle for use when soccer is not scheduled.
The entire eastern portion of the 35-acre property was remediated in 2015, with the district set to build a multi-million dollar outdoor sports facility there in 2016-17. Those plans were put on indefinite hold when MWRD officials informed the district that they might need the site for a future enhanced phosphate removal and effluent treatment center. The district holds an MWRD lease through 2032, on both the east and west "Sports Park" properties (35 acres). The current Skokie Sports Park (just west of the newly-remediated land) will continue to operate as it has since 1998, as an award-winning golf range, miniature golf and batting facility.
According to the district's Executive Director John Ohrlund, the current soccer and cricket field arrangement will likely be available for "at least a few years," until MWRD finalizes its treatment center plans.
Sports Park East Plan on indefinite hold
(5.13.16) Skokie Park District officials announced today that plans to renovate the 17-acre property at the corner of McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street are now on hold.
In a meeting last week with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Skokie Park District administrators were informed that the property just east of the existing Skokie Sports Park is now a potential site for an MWRD phosphate treatment operation. The park district, which leases the two adjoining pieces of land from MWRD, has been planning a multi-use sports facility on the recently remediated property.
“Unfortunately, our plans for a multi-use sports facility are now on hold indefinitely,” said park district executive director John Ohrlund. “And while a reboot is not completely out of the question, the district will also begin re-imagining other project options."
The current Skokie Sports Park (just west of the newly-remediated land) will continue to operate as it has since 1998, as an award-winning golf range, miniature golf and batting facility, on the current lease with MWRD that runs through 2032.
For more information, please call (847) 674-1500, ext. 2100.
Skokie Review story
Topic Archives:
March 16, 2016
Plan for development imminent
Dec. 29, 2015
District readying for development
Nov. 23, 2015
Mention of plan in conjunction with Weber Center renovation.
Aug. 4, 2015:
Board narrows concepts to two
April 30, 2015: Sports Park East
Hi-Res Concepts & Master Plan
April 8, 2015:
Sports Park East Open House at Oakton Center on April 30
March 1, 2015:
Area Map
December 3, 2012:
Sports Park East undergoes environmental cleanup