The Park District of Highland Park was awarded a $400,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant that will be used for trail work, park amenities, interpretive signage, and landscaping at Community Park located at the Recreation Center of Highland Park.  Last year, the Park District was awarded $144,672 Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (lllinois EPA) 319 grant funding to enhance the shoreline of the north pond located at the Community Park.  To date, the Park District has been awarded over $500,000 in grant funding for the development of Community Park.

“We are grateful to the State of Illinois for awarding us the grant funds to complete this unique project,” said Brian Romes, Executive Director for the Park District of Highland Park.  “Community Park will provide new one-of-a-kind outdoor recreation options surrounded by natural habitats that can be enjoyed by all ages.”

The Park District of Highland Park acquired the 100-acre Community Park property from the City of Highland Park in 2018. In accordance with the Park District’s GreenPrint 2024 Master Plan and with input from community residents and stakeholders, the Park District has worked with land planning specialists to create a Community Park master plan that includes green spaces interwoven with natural areas, gardens, and woods through which people can walk, bike and run.  The property also offers unique connectivity to the Recreation Center of Highland Park, adjacent trails, and the Skokie River Woods property.