Hitchcock Design Group Presents Potential Upgrades to Renfrew Park

Representatives from Hitchcock Design Group, a landscape architecture firm from Naperville, presented their proposal for upgrades to Renfrew Park in Dwight at a community meeting Monday August 14 held in the lower level of the Village of Dwight Administration Building.

Initial funding for the improvements are hoped to be funded by an OSLAD (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) Grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The OSLAD Program is a state-financed grant program that provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. The program is funded through a percentage of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax.

Grants can be awarded up to maximum of $600,000 and are 100% funded for distressed communities, of which Dwight is categorized.

The Village will partner with North Central IL Council of Governments (NCICG) to submit the OSLAD grant.

The Village could also consider adding some of their own funds to aid with additional developments.

The Phase One graphic below, which the OSLAD Grant would cover, shows proposed improvements to the tennis court area which would include reconditioning one side of the tennis court and adding two pickleball courts to the other side. Adjoining the courts would be a new shade structure, a picnic shelter, and fitness equipment. Also, the playground at the southeast corner of Renfrew would be replaced with modernized equipment.

The rocket play structure would not be impacted by this grant proposal and will stay in place.

The graphic below details potential future upgrades to Renfrew which could be funded by either the Village or future additional grants.