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Article by Elena Ferrarin
Communications Coordinator
Northbrook Park District
The Northbrook Park District was awarded a $600,000 grant through the state’s Open Space Land Acquisition and Development opens in new tab program for renovations at Techny Prairie Park and Fields.
This 113-acre public park at 1700 Techny Road offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including baseball and softball fields, batting cages, turf athletic fields, fishing, golf, shelters, picnic areas, a playground, a skate park, restrooms, a sled hill, naturalized areas and 2.4 miles of walking paths.
The grant will allow the Park District to upgrade many of the park amenities that were built in 2006 and are now reaching the end of their useful life, Northbrook Park District Executive Director Chris Leiner said.
“Our team at the Park District is excited to see this major project move forward with the support of OSLAD funding,” Leiner said. “By combining state and local funding, we will be able to reinvest in this well-used park and elevate it to a best-in-class community asset.”
Project Elements
- A new playground with more accessible elements and synthetic turf safety surface
- A new picnic shelter
- Improvements to the Trail Through Time, including forest therapy elements, new seating areas, and a new woodland path connection creating a new small loop
- Batting cage renovations including new equipment, an ADA accessible stall and a modernized payment system
- Renovations at Baseball Field #29 including field drainage improvements, dugout and bleacher shade structures, and new fencing, netting, scoreboard and site furnishings
- A new tunnel for batting and pitching use with synthetic turf, portable mound, pitching screen and temporary pitching rubbers
- Supplemental pond edge plantings, wildlife habitat improvements and educational signage
The Park District sought public input for the project in summer 2025 by offering a community meeting led by project consultants, two community open houses, an online survey and an online petition.
“The project has strong community backing built through a thorough public engagement process,” Leiner said. “District leaders are grateful for the continued support of our local legislators who prioritize this funding for park districts.”
State Senator Julie Morrison opens in new tab has been a champion of the Techny Prairie Park and Fields project.
“I am pleased to have supported $600,000 in funding for Techny Prairie Park and Fields to enhance the park and the surrounding area. An investment in our parks is an investment in our communities,” Morrison said.
The Park District’s OSLAD grant was among $36 million in grant funding awarded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources opens in new tab to 67 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities.
