APRIL 8 MASTER PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING

The Lakota Group reviewed community engagment completed to date to update the District’s Comprehensive Plan (GreenPrint) and reaffirmed three guiding themes for long-term planning and investment: Stewardship, Well-Being, and Efficiency. They explained that the updated GreenPrit organizes capital projects by category (Outdoor Sports, Indoor Sports, Recreation Facilities, and Park Amenities) and prioritizes them by tiers —1–3 for safety/compliance, critical repairs, and scheduled replacements; 4–5 for improvements and new amenities; and 6 for unfunded items. The presentation also included graphs summarizing funded projects with estimated costs and 10-year timelines, along with unfunded projects showing planning/design costs and potential future discussion timeframes if funding becomes available.

APRIL 8 WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE PARK BOARD

The Park Board of Commissioners honored family and friends of former Park Board Commissioner Robert Smith who served 13 years as a Park District Board Commissioner, and who recently passed on February 19, and approved Resolution 2026-02.

The City of Highland Park (owner of the Miss Nitro Sculpture) proposed relocating it to Brown Park or Lincoln Place Park, both owned by the Park District of Highland Park, but feedback from two community meetings held in February 2026 indicated strong opposition to installation at either site. As a result, neither location was approved, and the Park Board of Commissioners asked staff to request that the City consider alternative park locations, with a placement recommendation to be brought forward for approval at a future Park Board meeting.

Staff provided construction updates for the New Facility and Site Improvements at West Ridge Park, Jeff Fox Field Batting Cage project, the Rosewood Park Playground Replacement, and the Lincoln Park Improvements project. 

APRIL 14 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING 

Williams Architects presented findings from the Space Feasibility Evaluation of the Danny Cunniff South Shelter to assess compatibility and needed modifications for the ceramics program. The presentation compared existing versus proposed plans, included a cost estimate, and outlined a timeline with design in 2026 and construction in 2027. The Finance Committee reached consensus to request a formal proposal from Williams Architects.

Staff presented the West Ridge Community Center proforma. The facility is designed as a flexible, inclusive hub that can support gymnastics, dance, youth enrichment, ParkSchool, visual arts, and community events/rentals in one location. 

Staff plan to replace five trucks (two plow and three standard) using funding budgeted in the capital plan, with standard trucks potentially purchased through the Suburban Purchasing Cooperative and plows purchased aftermarket. Staff recommended purchasing specific Ford models from Sutton Ford, Currie Motors, and Willowbrook Ford, and the Finance Committee agreed to place the purchases on the consent agenda for the April 22 Park Board meeting.

Staff plans to replace carpet at Deer Creek Racquet Club and Park Fitness, with the capital budget including funding for each facility, and reviewed five bids with a contract recommendation. The Finance Committee agreed to place Absolute Home Improvement’s Base Bid plus Alternates 1 and 2 for the 2026 Facilities Carpet Replacement Project on the April 22 Park Board consent agenda.

Staff reviewed the actual revenues and expenses for the 2025 cost centers.

APRIL 22 REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARK BOARD

The Park Board approved: 2026 Facilities Carpet Replacement Project, the ADA Accessibility Audit and Transition Plan, the Purchase of Two Capital Replacement Pickup Trucks, the Purchase of Two Capital Replacement 4×4 Pickup Trucks, the Purchase of Capital Replacement Compact Pickup Truck, and Ordinance 2026-04: Authorizing and Providing for the Conveyance or Sale of Surplus Personal Property. 

Makom Solel Lakeside Synagogue (1301 Clavey Road, Highland Park) requested to permanently close its current Clavey Road access and relocate the parking lot entrance to Deer Creek Parkway, approximately 346 feet north along the Park District’s adjacent roadway near Larry Fink Park; staff shared images of the existing entrance (which routes traffic onto Deer Creek Parkway and into Larry Fink Park) and compared them with proposed site renderings, and by consensus the Park Board of Commissioners directed the Executive Director to enter into a non-binding letter of intent to relocate the entrance to Park District-owned Deer Creek Parkway, subject to an Easement Agreement approved by the Park Board and required permitting from the City of Highland Park.

Staff provided an annual report for Park Fitness comparing budgeted vs actual membership, personal training, and group exercise revenues, expenses and utilization. 

The Park Board and staff expressed heartfelt condolences to the Pasquesi family following the loss of Larry Pasquesi. In 2023, Larry and his wife, Maria, made a generous donation to the Park District and requested renaming Cloverdale Park to Fontana–Pasquesi Park to honor immigrant families from the Modena Province in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region who settled here in the early 1900s, with a permanent plaque installed to share that history. For Larry, the renaming recognized his parents’ sacrifices and their pursuit of the American Dream and reflected the pride he took in his Italian heritage and in the Highwood and Highland Park communities.