Oaklane Park Renovation Project

Location
Oaklane Park

Address
636 Berglund Place, Northbrook IL 60062

Project Status
Planning

Project Updates

February 8, 2026

Project is out to public bid. Construction anticipated to commence over the summer 2026.

August 4, 2025

A community meeting was held at Oaklane Park on Tuesday, July 22 to show park neighbors and residents three concepts to repurpose the pickleball courts. Park District staff will present voting results to the Park Board of Commissioners at the September 8, 2025 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting.

July 9, 2025

In late 2023, the Northbrook Park District reopened Oaklane Park following an extensive park renovation that included new hard courts, a new playground, new shelter and tables, a new .2 mile trail loop, installation of native plantings, and new fixtures including benches, a drinking fountain with dog bowl, bike rack and recycling/trash receptacles.

In 2024, with the arrival of warmer weather came greatly increased use of the park, with significant numbers of people utilizing the pickleball courts.

In April 2025, following a thorough evaluation, the Park District determined that the existing infrastructure in the Oaklane Park neighborhood can no longer support the increased traffic, congestion and parking demands caused by the growing popularity of pickleball at this location. These conditions have created potentially hazardous situations for community members and have impacted the delivery of essential services.

To address these concerns and prioritize public safety, the Park District did not re-install the pickleball nets at Oaklane Park in spring 2025.

Before making this decision, the Park District explored several alternatives including posting additional signage, adjusting park hours, leasing nearby parking lots and expanding existing parking facilities. Unfortunately, these options were either ineffective or not viable.

Therefore, the Park District has developed several concepts for recreational opportunities in this space. The tennis court will remain in the current location, while the pickleball courts will be repurposed with one of three sport court options.

Three possible designs have been approved by the Park Board of Commissioners for community input. These options include:

An Open House will be held at Oaklane Park on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, from 5:30pm-6:30pm to invite the community to provide input on these three options.

April 21, 2025

Following a thorough evaluation, the Park District has determined that the existing infrastructure in the Oaklane Park neighborhood can no longer support the increased traffic, congestion and parking demands caused by the growing popularity of pickleball at this location. These conditions have created potentially hazardous situations for community members and have impacted the delivery of essential services.

To address these concerns and prioritize public safety, the District will no longer install pickleball nets at Oaklane Park.

Before making this decision, the District explored several alternatives including posting additional signage, adjusting park hours, leasing nearby parking lots and expanding existing parking facilities. Unfortunately, these options were either ineffective or not viable.

Looking ahead, the Park District is actively exploring alternative locations for pickleball and will also present several options for community input regarding a different recreational amenity for Oaklane Park.

Additional Northbrook Park District outdoor pickleball courts can be found at:

• Stonegate Park, 3425 Whirlaway Drive – 6 dedicated pickleball courts
• Williamsburg Square Park, 200 Lee Road – 2 dedicated pickleball courts
• Crestwood Park, 1824 Milton Avenue – 4 tennis courts with pickleball lines
• Wood Oaks Green Park, 1150 Sanders Road – 4 tennis courts with pickleball lines
• Meadowhill Park, 1479 Maple Avenue – 4 recreational pickleball courts on in-line hockey rink

Indoor pickleball is also part of our open gym rotation at Techny Prairie Activity Center and Greenbriar Gym. For schedules, visit nbfitness.org/opengym opens in new tab.

November 24, 2023

Renovations at Oaklane Park are near complete. Park is now open to the community.

October 3, 2023

The Northbrook Park District is excited to announce the start of the upcoming renovation project at Oaklane Park, 636 Berglund Place. Construction began in April 2023 with project completion scheduled for late fall of 2023. This park is closed until construction is completed.

While the Park is closed, the closest parks are Meadowhill Park, 1479 Maple Road, and Crestwood Park, 1824 Milton Avenue. The overall project timeline is dependent upon supply chain and material delivery as well as weather conditions. During the closure and renovation, the Park is a construction site and caution should be taken in the area.

Items Completed or Underway

• Tennis/Pickleball Court Asphalt/Fencing
• Playground
• Shelter
• Gravel Path
• Grading and Drainage

Items to be Completed Soon

• Tennis/Pickleball Court Color Coating
• Playground surfacing
• Native Plants
• Concrete Work
• Installation of Site Amenities (benches, trash, recycling)
• Painting of Backstop

In 2019, the District started the community input process for improvements at Oaklane Park at 636 Berglund Place. An initial survey was made available to residents, concepts for the park were developed, and a community Open House was hosted at the park in August of that year to gather additional input from neighbors.

The project was deferred in 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In summer 2021, the District applied to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources opens in new tab (IDNR) for a 2022 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development opens in new tab (OSLAD) grant. Under normal circumstances, grant results would have been published by IDNR in January 2022. In March 2022, the District received the following information from IDNR:

“Due to the large volume of applications and highly competitive grant program, in conjunction with limited staff levels, the FY22 OSLAD/LWCF grant awards will be delayed… Due to limited staff we do not anticipate announcing grant awards until late summer or fall of 2022, and don’t anticipate executing Grant Agreements until winter of 2022. Grant implementation and project construction is anticipated to begin in the Spring of 2023.”

In the summer of 2022, the District was awarded this grant in the amount of $400,000 to support this project: Northbrook Park District Receives $400,000 OSLAD Grant for Oaklane Park Renovations

The renovation plan reflects input gathered from the community and includes the following elements:

• Conversion of the two tennis courts to one tennis court and two pickleball courts with new fencing
• Replacement of both the 2-5 year old and 5-12 year old play structures
• Reconfiguration of the swing area to include an accessible path to the transfer swing
• New 20’X20’ picnic shelter and game tables
• The addition of a .2 mile trail loop around the park perimeter
• New benches, drinking fountain with dog bowl, bike rack and recycling/trash receptacles
• Installation of native plantings, seeding, sodding, a butterfly garden and interpretive signage

With community input, the District completed and adopted a ten-year Comprehensive Master Plan which includes an annual Capital Improvement Plan. Community input conducted with this planning has indicated a priority for maintaining the District’s current assets. This project is one of several repair and replacement projects planned for 2023 as Northbrook Park District continues to enhance our community by providing outstanding services, parks and facilities through environmental, social and financial stewardship.

For more information about this project, contact us by email or call 847-291-2960.