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August 10: Finance Committee Meeting
Staff reviewed the long-term emergency replacement proposals for the compromised ice rink floor at Centennial Ice Arena and provided a recommendation. The Park Board awarded the project to Ice Builders, Inc. The emergency replacement project is estimated to cost approximately $1.5 million and will take approximately six months to complete.
Staff also reviewed the bid results from the 2022 Centennial Ice Arena Renovation and Site Improvements Project and provided a recommendation. It was the consensus of the Park Board to proceed with the bid from Stuckey Construction which includes lobby renovations, removal of the concession area, updated locker and restrooms, along with an improved drop-off area and vehicle turn-around, resurfaced parking lots with more lighting and pedestrian connections, and drainage improvements to protect the infrastructure.
Lastly, staff provided an update of the District’s Ten-Year Funding Model.
August 10: Workshop Meeting Of The Park Board
Finding in accordance with Park District Code, Article 8, Section 1, that–due to the unique circumstances present in this case concerning the nature of the work and the timing required–the replacement work for the Centennial Ice Arena is not adapted to award by competitive bidding; and, further, The Park Board of Commissioners authorized the Executive Director to enter into an Agreement with Ice Builders for design and construction services, labor and materials for the Centennial Ice Arena Rink Replacement Project in the amount of $1,391,790, subject to final contract document approval by Park District Corporate Counsel, Ancel Glink.
August 17: Facility And Recreation Committee Meeting
Architect consultants, Holabird and Root, and Construction Managers, Gilbane Construction Company, provided a progress of the conceptual plans and plan to deliver cost estimates at the next meeting.
August 18: Finance Committee Meeting
Staff reviewed the quarterly treasurer’s report and financial forecasts by fund through July 31, 2022.
Staff also reviewed the bid opening for the 2022 Facility and Parks Asphalt Improvements Project and provided a contract recommendation. The project would replace cart path holes 2, 3, 4, and 5, repair the parking lot at Heller Nature Center parking, and stripe the parking lot at Sunset Woods Park. Staff received consensus from the Finance Committee to place the contract from Troch McNeil Paving Company on the consent agenda at the August 24 Regular Meeting.
August 24: Regular Meeting Of The Park Board
Staff provided a review of the design renderings and floor plan layouts for the facility and entry renovations for the 2022 Centennial Ice Arena Renovation Improvement Project. The Park Board of Commissioners accepted base bid Items 1-10 and 12-14, alternates 3,7,11,12,14 from Stuckey Construction for the 2022 Centennial Ice Arena Renovation Improvement Project, authorizing the Executive Director to enter into an Agreement in the amount of $3,533,755. The Park Board of Commissioners also accepted change order 1 amounting to a deduct of $36,858 from the project.
Staff reviewed the Park Avenue Breakwater and Boat Ramp construction schedule. Mobilization begins September 6. The concrete launch ramp and sand ramp will be closed during construction, motorized watercraft can use the Lloyd Beach boat launch with the Winnetka Park District. Non-motorized watercraft can launch from the south beach on weeknights and weekends.
Staff received consensus from the Park Board of Commissioners to sell the 552 Electric Zamboni and request approval of a ratified Ordinance Providing for the Conveyance or Sale of Surplus Personal Property at the September 14 Workshop meeting.
With over 700 acres of land, 45 parks, four beaches and nine facilities, the Park District of Highland Park is one of the largest and certainly one of the most diverse districts in Illinois.
View a summary of the Park District’s progress in 2021, in our Annual Report.
The Park District of Highland Park begins construction at Park Avenue Boating Facility to replace the Breakwater and Boat Ramp as planned on September 6, 2022. Construction hours will be 7 am to 4 pm Monday – Friday. The anticipated reopening of the new Park Avenue Breakwater and Boat Ramp is Spring 2023.
During the project, the concrete and sand ramps will not be available. Communication has been sent out to our boating community, providing launching options through the remainder of the season. Boat launching is not allowed on the North Beach at Park Ave.
Pedestrian access is permitted from the sidewalk on the west side of the Water Plant during construction. Vehicles will not have access to the Park Avenue Boating Facility south parking lot on weekdays beginning September 6, 2022. Non-boater vehicle access and parking will only be available at the North Beach parking lot.
Learn more about this project.
The Park District is participating in a Morton Arboretum study to treat and track the health of declining oak trees at Heller Nature Center and Sunset Woods Park. A total of eight District trees (four white oaks and four red oaks) are part of the ongoing study. According to the USDA Forest Service, management solutions are urgently needed to cope with the large number of oak trees that are declining in our nation’s forests. The Park District has been working to address oak decline since 2019 and has a tradition of strategically planting new trees in our parks.
Learn more about the threat to native trees in the United States.
Blast off!
The iconic Rocket Ship playground for 5-12 year-olds is now open for play! Visit it today at Sunset Woods Park! (1801 Sunset Rd) An interpretive sign at the playground tells the story of the rocketship’s importance to the Highland Park community. The playground is adjacent to a new nature-themed playground for 2-5 year-olds and a new seating plaza which opened earlier this summer. The seating plaza was funded by the Parks Foundation of Highland Park.
Stay tuned for an official grand opening event of the playgrounds and seating plaza announcement coming soon!
Thank you for your patience throughout construction!
Watch a short fly-over video!
At the August 10th Board Meeting, the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners gave approval for an unexpected and necessary replacement of the Centennial Ice Arena rink floor.
During regular annual maintenance in June, staff uncovered an unknown issue on the Centennial rink floor. The Park District acted swiftly to conduct an exhaustive investigation of the facility and ice flooring system with an engineering firm. The findings confirmed that the building is structurally sound. However, the rink floor had been compromised and requires complete replacement.
The rink floor emergency replacement project is estimated to cost approximately $1.5m. The Park Board awarded the project to Ice Builders, Inc, headquartered in Liverpool, New York. Ice Builders has completed several successful ice-skating rink installations in the Chicago area, including the Glenview Ice Center and Skokie Skatium Ice Rink, and successfully completed a project for the Park District of Highland Park at Centennial in 2003. The Centennial project begins immediately and will take approximately six months to complete.
During the project, Centennial Ice Center will remain closed. This is very disappointing for our Park District, our participants, and the community. Our top priority is to deliver essential recreation programs to our community safely. To this end, we have several options for our skaters:
Off-Ice Programs – Students can improve athleticism by working on flexibility, core strength, balance, and jump techniques to enhance their on-ice performance. Programs will be held this Fall at the Recreation Center of Highland Park. Learn more and register.
On-Ice Programs – We have partnered with the Winnetka Park District to provide Learn-to-Skate programs for our skaters this Fall at the Winnetka Ice Arena ( 490 Hibbard, Winnetka, IL). The Winnetka Park District is also generously extending resident rates to Highland Park residents for their Fall Learn-to-Skate programs. Learn more and register for Winnetka Learn-to-Skate classes.
On-Ice Hockey Programs – Looking to learn how to play hockey? Register for on-ice programs with the Falcons. Contact Nick Meo, Falcons Hockey Association, at nmeo15@gmail.com for more information.
An expeditious replacement of the Centennial ice rink floor is a priority for the Park District so we can reopen the facility for our skating families. We will keep residents and our Centennial ice participants updated on the replacement of the rink floor timeline and progress.
In a separate but related project, bids were considered at the Park Board of Commissioner’s August 10th Finance Committee meeting to renovate the Centennial Ice Center lobby, multi-purpose room, locker rooms, office space, restrooms, and parking lot. The contract award for this renovation project is expected at the August Park Board meeting, and construction is anticipated to start in Sept.
Find updates and more information on the Centennial Ice Arena Renovation and Rink Replacement projects.
The Park District’s gymnastics programs will continue to be offered at Lincoln School, located at 711 Lincoln Ave. Register for fall gymnastics classes.
Facility is closed Monday, August 15 – Friday, August 19
Indoor Pool is Closed Monday, August 15 – Sunday, August 28
Outdoor Group Exercise Schedule**
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30am Cycle | 8:30am Zumba | 8:30am Cycle | 9:30am HIIT | 8:30am Zumba |
| 9:30am Strength | 9:30am Cardio Sculpt | 9:30am Barre | 9:30am Yoga | 9:30am Strength |
Beach Yoga (Free for RCHP Members)
Wednesday and Friday, 7-8am
Sachs Recreation Center, Deerfield
All active members of the Recreation Center are welcome to use Sachs Recreation Center (455 Lake Cook Rd, Deerfield) between August 15 – 19. Provide your RCHP membership scan card for entry.
Hidden Creek Lap Swim, August 15 – 28
Hidden Creek Aqua Fitness Schedule**
**Weather permitting. Classes are 45 minutes.
Centennial Ice Arena is temporarily closed, and ice programs will not be offered in Fall 2022 due to an unexpected and necessary replacement of the rink floor.
An unknown issue was uncovered on the rink floor during our regular annual maintenance in June. Since then, the Park District has acted swiftly to conduct an exhaustive investigation of the facility and ice flooring system with an engineering firm. The findings confirmed that the building is structurally sound. However, the rink floor has been compromised and will require complete replacement.
This is very disappointing for our Park District, our participants, and the community. Our top priority is to deliver essential recreation programs to our community safely. To this end, we have a number of options for our skaters:
Off-Ice Programs – Students can improve athleticism by working on flexibility, core strength, balance, and jump techniques to enhance their on-ice performance. Programs will be held this fall at the Recreation Center of Highland Park. Learn more and register.
On-Ice Programs – We have partnered with the Winnetka Park District to provide Learn-to-Skate programs for our skaters this Fall at the Winnetka Ice Arena ( 490 Hibbard, Winnetka, IL). The Winnetka Park District is also generously extending resident rates to Highland Park residents for their Fall Learn-to-Skate programs. Learn more and register for Winnetka Learn-to-Skate classes.
On-Ice Hockey Programs – Looking to learn how to play hockey? Contact Nick Meo, Falcons Hockey Association, at nmeo15@gmail.com for more information.
An expeditious replacement of the ice rink flooring is a priority for the Park District. We will keep residents and our Centennial ice participants updated on the replacement of the rink floor timeline and progress.
The Park District’s gymnastics programs will continue to be offered at Lincoln School, located at 711 Lincoln Ave. Register for fall gymnastics classes.
The Park District of Highland Park Board President Terry Grossberg delivered the following remarks at this week’s Regular Board Meeting:
Before we begin with our meeting agenda, I wanted to take a moment to comment on the tragic events of July 4 that shook our community to its core. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families of the seven victims, those who were injured, and everyone who was impacted by this senseless act.
I want to thank the brave first responders who ran towards danger to render aid during this active shooter situation and the individuals who responded selflessly and put themselves at risk to care for others. I also want to thank Highland Park, state, federal, and neighboring law enforcement agencies who assisted in the apprehension of the suspect, as well as the Mayor and City for keeping our residents updated and supported during the immediate aftermath and over the last three weeks. We are also grateful for the support from the countless government partners, agencies and hundreds of volunteers who continue to provide ongoing victim resources and services to the survivors impacted by the tragedy on July 4.
It is strong communities like ours that work together for our collective well-being.
As I sit here tonight, surrounded by my fellow Park Board Commissioners, I would be remiss in not mentioning how proud we all are of our park district staff, for their emergency response efforts on July 4th, and how they have contributed to the healing of our community following this horrific tragedy.
Along with so many of you, the Park District was there. As co-sponsors of the Parade, over one hundred of our employees, including our high school and college-aged camp counselors, full time staff, my fellow board commissioners, and many of our family members, were lining up the parade floats, marching in the parade, and setting up for the Fourth Fest celebration planned at Sunset Woods Park.
In the short days that followed, trauma counseling and other therapeutic resources were provided to support our team members who were in the thick of things, allowing us to re-open our facilities, and restart our programs. Children are now back in camp making summer memories, and families are finding a much-needed respite in our parks, programs, playgrounds, and beaches.
Over the past three weeks, the Park District has continued to persevere in effort to care for our staff and community by providing locations for community gatherings, volunteering for donation drives, providing scholarships and services for victim’s families, and most importantly, providing essential park and recreation outlets to the community — to aid in the healing process and gain back a sense of normalcy.
July is National Parks and Recreation Month. How fitting that this year’s theme is “We Rise Up.” That is exactly what our Park District is doing – Rising Up to help our community heal and bring back joy and hope. On behalf of my fellow Board members, I would like to thank all Park District staff for your compassionate hearts and your passion for serving and supporting our community.
Together, we are Highland Park Strong.
Thank you for your continued patience as we work to ensure that the playground is safe for play. The remaining pour-in-place rubber surfacing is expected to pick back up next week. We are targeting Mid-August for full completion.
We are all disappointed that the new playgrounds are not yet open. Our crews have been working hard to keep the project moving, but unforeseen challenges and setbacks have impacted the overall schedule.