The Chicago Park District recently received $1.75 million in state funding to renovate two West Side fieldhouses.
A $1 million grant will go to rehab Garfield Park’s Gold Dome field house, located at 100 N. Central Park Ave., and a $750,000 grant will go to rehab the Franklin Park field house in North Lawndale, located at 4320 W. 15th St.
The grants are part of the latest round of Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act (PARC) grants, which fund the construction and renovation of indoor recreational facilities. The Chicago Park District can get up to 20 percent of all grant funds, with each grant covering 90 percent of the project costs.
The Golden Dome renovations will include interior and exterior building rehab, repairs of the field house stairs and wheelchair ramp, as well as landscape improvements. The Gold Dome was originally built in 1928 as the headquarters for the West Park Commission, which ran the West Side parks at the time. After the commission was folded into the Chicago Park District in 1934, the domed facility became a field house.
The Franklin Park field house will get handicapped accessibility improvements and new windows and doors. The building was built in 1972.
According to its website, the park district has been working to rehabilitate its field houses and community centers as part of the Save Chicago’s Treasures project, which is estimated to cost around $25 million. In addition to the two grants for West Side field houses, the park district got four PARC grants to rehabilitate field houses in four major South Side parks.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted the grants as investments in the state’s post-pandemic future.
“Projects being funded through the PARC grants are important investments that will improve communities and allow Illinoisans an opportunity to enjoy their local parks, forest preserves, and recreation facilities,” he stated.
The park district didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted the grants as investments in the state’s post-pandemic future.
“Projects being funded through the PARC grants are important investments that will improve communities and allow Illinoisans an opportunity to enjoy their local parks, forest preserves, and recreation facilities,” he stated.
