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2025 has been a dynamic year at the Park District of Highland Park, highlighted by new facility construction, park renovations, and a mix of recurring and new recreation services. As always, we pause to reflect and share a recap of our work, the joy we’ve brought to the community, and a preview of what’s ahead.
We are grateful for your support and encouragement. Community feedback and suggestions make this YOUR Park District, helping us add value and enrich community life. There’s a lot to talk about as we look back on the past year and look ahead to 2026. Let’s start by highlighting the District’s current financial position.
Our approach continues to reflect responsible, transparent planning, reporting and management of financial resources. In 2025, Moody’s reaffirmed our Aaa bond rating, confirming our commitment to sound financial practices. For 35 years, we have earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, demonstrating our commitment to high standards in transparency and accountability.
The work of our professional, talented staff—ranging from landscaping to lifeguarding, preschool, playgrounds, and more—is supported by our Board of Park Commissioners: President Terry Grossberg, Vice-President Jennifer Freeman, Josie Beck, Steve Greenberg, and Rafael Labrador. Their long-range planning and leadership are invaluable to bringing quality services to the community. We thank recently retired Commissioners Cal Bernstein and Barnett Ruttenberg, whose dedication will benefit the District for generations. Each day, the hands-on contributions of our team members led by Executive Director, Brian Romes, make your Park District a special place for us to do the work we love.
Ten years ago, the Park District of Highland Park introduced GreenPrint 2024, a transformative parks and recreation master plan that shaped the current state of open spaces, facilities, and recreation services in Highland Park. With community input, collaboration, and strategic investment, the initiatives outlined in the plan were implemented over the past decade, enhancing parks, recreation facilities, and natural areas throughout the district. These achievements demonstrate a strong dedication to long-term priorities and lay the groundwork for future planning.
At the beginning of this year, we launched the new “GreenPrint” Comprehensive Master Plan to reassess, refine, and reimagine what comes next. GreenPrint is our commitment to ensuring that your beloved park and recreation system continues to serve all residents, today and well into the future. The plan is taking shape through a three-phased process: engage, analyze, and plan.
We began the Engage Phase by connecting with the Highland Park community, assessing usage, gathering interests, and identifying needs. This phase included a statistically valid Community-wide Survey, as well as additional outreach, including:
The information we gathered provided unique insight into our community’s needs and preferences.
We are currently assessing data, reviewing existing planning documents, and evaluating current park and facility conditions to ensure we continue to maintain and grow our facilities and services. This phase includes:
The final phase brings everything together into a New GreenPrint Master Plan—a strategic guide for the next decade. This phase includes:
GreenPrint is intended to be a living document, allowing us to quickly adapt to changing conditions—including economic and ecological ones—and recalibrate our path on this journey.
We are deeply appreciative of the cooperation we received from the community. We invite you to learn more about the planning process at pdhpgreenprint.com.
One of our most significant projects this year is the construction of the new West Ridge Center. The current building has served the community for decades, but it no longer meets the needs of our resident users.
The new West Ridge Community Center, which is scheduled to open this spring, will provide our ParkSchool students and teachers with modern spaces to support their growth and development. The early childhood rooms will feature secure access to recreational facilities, as well as direct entry to outdoor play areas, native gardens, and a new safety and sustainability village, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching experience.
The new gymnastics gym increases our current space at Centennial Ice Arena from 3,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet at the West Ridge Community Center. You can imagine what a difference that will make for our fast-growing gymnastics program.
The new dance studio has been designed to meet the specialized needs of performers. The larger size, state-of-the-art floor, new LED lighting, sound system, and vaulted ceilings will provide the optimal environment for learning and growth.
There will be a beautiful glass community room that opens out onto a large event lawn so guests at events, parties, and meetings will be able to take advantage of a wonderful combination of indoor-outdoor space. We put a lot of what we’ve learned over the years into this design, and it’s going to be an extraordinary gathering space for generations to come.
Recreation services at the new West Ridge Community Center will start when the facility opens this spring. In addition to so many of your favorites, we’ll be offering new programs like summer gymnastics camp, and by fall, all classes will be in full swing. We can’t wait for you to see it! Watch for announcements about the Grand Opening and special open houses for ParkSchool and gymnastics participants.
This project represents an investment not just in buildings, but in people—in every child who will take their first gymnastics class here, every adult who will attend a community event, and every family who will gather in this shared space.
When we opened Club Pickle & Padel on September 2, 2025, we changed the game. The Club is ahead of any North Shore racquet facility, offering state-of-the-art courts and a one-of-a-kind experience. Here are some highlights. (You really need to experience it yourself!):
Club Pickle & Padel has its own website and app, where you can find everything about the facility, amenities, memberships, court availability, events, and rentals. The club is open to members and non-members.
Events and parties create more connections. The rental space can host corporate outings, birthdays, special events or casual nights with friends. Combining socializing and sports has made the Club a friendly gathering hub.
You’re invited to experience this one-of-a-kind venue. Reserve your visit with us and see why Club Pickle & Padel is the ultimate destination for pickleball, padel and community connection.
For nearly twenty years, the Recreation Center of Highland Park was a hub of health and wellness. In 2025, the facility entered a new chapter with a new name: Park Fitness. It’s more than a fitness center; it is a vibrant gathering place where neighbors connect, and wellness is a way of life.
In 2025, Park Fitness completed a remarkable transformation. The 5,850-square-foot Fitness Floor features a quiet, comfortable layout and a full range of premium equipment, including treadmills, ellipticals, cross-trainers, rowing machines, stair climbers, arc trainers, upright and recumbent bikes, and strength equipment. Park Fitness also includes:
As longtime Fitness Manager Jodi DiTomasso shared, “Park Fitness represents a new era in our commitment to the health and well-being of the community.”
Park Fitness is where the community thrives. Schedule a tour today and experience firsthand why Park Fitness is extraordinary.
In June 2025, we proudly cut the ribbon on the completed Park Avenue North Beach Access Improvements, supported by a $400,000 OSLAD grant. The project includes:
The project improves connectivity with the boating facility and creates inviting, accessible spaces for walking, biking, and lakeside relaxation. Future plans include a shaded plaza with a pergola, tables, and chairs. Brian Romes added, “Many of our projects use universal design concepts and focus on inclusivity, and that was the goal at Park Avenue. It’s been well received.”
For decades, Sunset Woods Park has been the central park for residents of Highland Park. 2025 marked the completion of another phase of Sunset Woods Park Improvements, which makes the park more accessible and inclusive for all ages, interests, and abilities. Some of the highlights:
Brian Romes said, “Placing the basketball court at the front of the park improved access and accessibility. The new wheel-friendly plaza appeals to a larger variety of users and enthusiasts. More activities are available, and additions like the bocce court—which the community requested—attract more inter-generational usage.”
Along with improvements to more than a dozen parks, we made major upgrades at Port Clinton Park:
At the popular Larry Fink Tot Lot, we completed several community-guided updates, including:
In 2025, after over a year of research, the Park District adopted GreenPath, our most robust Sustainability Plan. This plan will guide efforts to prepare for and adapt to regional climate change threats.
Led by Planning and Projects Supervisor Casey Lawler, GreenPath is the Park District’s roadmap to operational sustainability for the next decade. It is focused, realistic, and actionable, guided by three principles: 1. Build Resiliency to Climate Change 2. Reduce Climate Change Impact 3. Model Environmental Best Practices
With five measurable goals: 1. Maintain clean, healthy air 2. Use energy efficiently 3. Use water efficiently 4. Reduce landfill waste 5. Foster a sustainability identity for the District.
Read more about GreenPath on our website. The new page highlights sustainability at the Park District and showcases past and current initiatives. This collaborative spirit reflects what makes Highland Park special: a caring community and a responsive Park District.
We love serving the community. And you love being part of it!
In 2025 we ran 2,532 programs. A total of 16,868 participants registered for programs.
We ran 158 Summer Camps. Total participation increased 7.6%, to 2,131 campers.
Park Fitness memberships increased 11.2%, to 2,289 members.
Golfers played a total of 43,053 rounds at Sunset Valley Golf Club.
Lakefront beach pass holders increased 46.5%.
Your support is indispensable to the success of the District. We appreciate you!
On Monday, July 21, 2025, we hosted the nation’s largest pickleball lesson! Four hundred and forty kids joined Mark Miller’s Munchkin Program and MPL Chicago Slice player Maddie Moeke at the Cunniff Park Pickleball Complex, breaking the 2024 record of 300 kids set in Arizona. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, nearly 20 million pickleball players played in 2024, a 45% increase from 2023.
We love our fun and games. And yeah…our world record, too!
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park ensures equitable access to recreation. This year, it has awarded over $183,000 in scholarships, memberships, and program or camp registrations.
Through the SMILE program, families in need of financial assistance can participate in Park District programs. In 2025, scholarships were awarded to 79 families—comprising 126 adults and 112 children—with over $172,000 allocated, which funded 42 memberships, 131 programs, and 68 camps.
The FYI Grant-in-aid Program helps Highwood students at District 112 and 113 schools in Highland Park. In 2025, the Foundation awarded over $6,400 to 10 families and 21 children for 6 memberships, 41 programs, and 9 camps.
This year, the Foundation received several grants to support its scholarship programs. The Highland Park Community Foundation, Endeavor Health, and the AYCO Charitable Foundation contributed a total of $24,000. An $8,922 grant from the DuPage County Health Department funded the FYI Learn to Swim program, enabling 71 residents to learn how to swim. Swim Lessons Save Lives.
That’s why this work matters, and we are grateful.
We are always thrilled to be recognized for our communications and marketing efforts. In 2025, the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association honored us with their most of prestigious Marketing awards:
And, your Park District was also received the IPRA Exceptional Workplace Award. Our Park Board, administration, staff, and volunteers are very proud of these important recognitions.
From stunning park improvements to expanded wellness opportunities, from sustainable planning to unforgettable community moments, 2025 has truly been an exceptional year at your Park District.
Thank you for being part of everything we do. Whether you joined us on the trails, took a class, played a sport, enjoyed a concert, volunteered, or simply relaxed at one of our beautiful parks—you helped make this year our best yet.
We look forward to serving you in 2026 and beyond, with even more improvements, programs, access, and joy shared across our community.
Happy Holidays to all. See you around the parks!