Upgrades will include rentable picnic pavilion with permanent bag boards, splash pad, new playground equipment and more, officials said.
OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest's Don Gorman Park will see some enhancements, with the help of a state grant, the Oak Forest Park District shared Wednesday.
Park officials said they have been awarded a $600,000 OSLAD Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant from the State of Illinois.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (INDR) awarded a total of $36 million to 67 communities for local park development projects as part of the latest round of OSLAD grants. OSLAD is a cost-sharing program between state and local governments that helps communities fund land acquisition and development for parks and outdoor recreation projects.
Through the OSLAD funding, the park district will make major updates to Don & Loretta Gorman Park, including adding a rentable picnic pavilion with permanent bag boards, a small ground play splash pad, a walking path around the park connecting to the regional Forest Preserve trail, new playground equipment, an interpretive rain garden, along with updating landscaping features.
"The commissioners and staff of the Oak Forest Park District would like to send their sincere gratitude to the community for their ongoing support of our parks and facilities and to the City of Oak Forest for their continued partnership with us," officials shared on social media. "We can’t wait to begin working on this project, and are greatly looking forward to the positive changes it will bring!"
“As Governor, I’m committed to building stronger, healthier communities in Illinois," Pritzker said in a press release. "My administration continues to make critical investments that support underserved areas, and we’re proud to bring new recreational facilities and expanded green spaces to communities through the OSLAD program.
"From playgrounds and walking trails to pickleball courts and native landscaping, we’re investing millions to revitalize outdoor gathering spaces, strengthen local communities, and offer new recreational opportunities to Illinois families across the state.”
The OSLAD program has become one of the most popular grant programs in Illinois. Since its establishment, OSLAD has awarded $675 million for park projects throughout Illinois (including the awards announced Wednesday).
“For more than 36 years, the OSLAD program has helped establish Illinois as a national leader in parks and recreation by investing in park and recreation agencies that consistently accomplish a great deal with limited resources,” said Peter Murphy, president and CEO of the Illinois Association of Park Districts.
“Park districts, forest preserves, conservation districts and recreation agencies stretch every dollar to preserve open space, drive local economic opportunity, and provide safe, accessible, reliable places for Illinoisans to play, exercise and connect with nature. And at a time when demand for parks and open spaces has never been higher, OSLAD funding is critical to ensuring a strong, sustainable future for these vital community assets and destinations."
This round of grants represents "projects from the smallest villages of rural Illinois to Chicago and the suburbs,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie.
“There is an impressive amount of work, creativity and ambition that goes into planning new outdoor recreational facilities, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is thrilled to play a small part in helping communities thrive."