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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: John Russell, Grant Writer
DATE: Aug. 21, 2019
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Aurora Division of Parks and Recreation to apply for a
$109,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for improvements at McCarty Park.
PURPOSE:
The Aurora Parks and Recreation Division has created a plan to make McCarty Park more inviting to children, families and residents from nearby neighborhoods and throughout the City. The park plan would involve installing creative play equipment on the eastern side of the park and improving the large Splash Pad in the middle of the Park.
BACKGROUND:
The estimated cost of the McCarty Park improvements $218,000. The Parks Division will seek a grant of $109,000 from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which will cover half of the cost. The Parks Division will include the matching $109,000 in its budget for 2020. Under the requirements of the OSLAD grant program, work on the park could begin in April 2020. It is estimated the project would take until the end of 2020.
DISCUSSION:
McCarty Park is the oldest park in the City of Aurora. It was platted in 1835 by Aurora's founders, Samuel and Joseph McCarty, as a Town Square for McCarty's Mill, which later would become the Village of Aurora. For most of its first 170-some years, it was a passive park, with benches, trees and grass but no activity areas. A Splash Pad opened in the center of the park in 2008, and has been very popular as a summertime activity for nearby children. However, there have been some problems with the consistent operation of the Splash Pad. The new park plans -- with improved Splash Pad and installation of creative playground equipment -- will make McCarty Park even more welcoming for all residents. The cost estimate of the project is based on costs of recent improvements at other City parks, and on estimates from vendors. Funds for th...
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