Williamsburg Square Park - Courtesy of Google Earth

August 25, 2022 at 9:50am

Project Planning – 75% Completion

75% Complete

Northbrook Park District is currently planning improvements to Williamsburg Square Park located at 200 Lee Road, Northbrook. We are reaching out to ask you to provide input for your neighborhood park.

On August 24, the Board of Park Commissioners approved a resolution to support application for an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The Northbrook Park District was awarded a $600,000 grant for improvements to this park.

Community Open Houses for Williamsburg Square Park, facilitated by Hitchcock Design Group, were held on Wednesday, September 7 from 6pm-7pm in the Prairie Room at Techny Prairie Activity Center located in Techny Prairie Park and Fields at 180 Anets Drive, Northbrook, on Thursday, September 8 from 6pm-7pm at Heritage Oaks Golf Club, 3535 Dundee Road, Northbrook, and on Tuesday, September 27 from 4:30pm-6:30pm at Joe Doud Administration Building, 545 Academy Drive, Northbrook.

Community members were able to discuss the project with staff members and project consultants, view current design plans, review survey results from the spring and provide your feedback for this park. If you are unable to attend the Open Houses, comments can also be submitted by email.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2021, the Northbrook Park District updated the Comprehensive Master Plan. As part of this strategic process, infrastructure nearing the end of its useful life was identified and slated for renovation within five years.

The playground at Williamsburg Square Park is 23 years old and the tennis and basketball courts are 30 years old. Based on their age and condition these assets are considered to be past their useful life and are ready for replacement or renovation.

The project timeline aligns with the 2023 Illinois Department of Natural Resources OSLAD Grant Program.

OSLAD grants are financed by the State of Illinois to provide funding assistance to local government agencies for the acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space.

This program could potentially provide $600,000 to the Park District to help fund the project.

  • New playground
  • Two new tennis courts
  • Two new pickleball courts
  • New basketball court
  • Replace the existing walking path with a new asphalt surface
  • New 16’ × 16’ shade shelter with tables
  • Expansion of native plantings and natural areas
  • New trees on the park perimeter
  • ADA improvements to the park pathway layout

The District has included four out of the five top requests from the neighborhood survey conducted in May in the proposed project scope.

Top Survey Results:

  • Playground update/renovation
  • Add bathrooms
  • Improve walking path
  • More benches
  • Add shade shelter

Williamsburg Square Park is classified as a “neighborhood park” based on its size of less than 10 acres and a lack of accessible parking.

Due to the high costs ($300,000–$400,000) of constructing restroom facilities, the District has not traditionally installed them in neighborhood parks. Restroom facilities are appropriate at community parks as these sites are larger, provide dedicated accessible parking and are considered destination parks.

The District has five community parks, ten neighborhood parks, and three mini parks. Only four of the five community parks have dedicated restroom facilities.

Currently the baseball field has minimal programmed use. The field will remain available for community use.

The District is planning to use a wood chip play surface.

Community Open House meetings were held in September 2022 to collect input on the design. The opportunity to change the design is no longer available.

The project budget for the current proposal is $1,465,500 and will be funded from surplus Northbrook Park District operating funds transferred to the District’s capital budget.

The District is applying for a $600,000 OSLAD grant to alleviate some of the costs.

The project is not funded by a tax increase.

Construction will take between four to six months. The time to complete the project is dependent upon both the weather and project supply availability. The project is currently slated to begin in 2024. Areas of the Park may be closed during construction. Project updates will be posted at nbparks.org/projects.