Central Illinois parks to get millions in grants for updates
BLOOMINGTON (25News Now) - Central Illinois parks will be receiving millions of dollars in state grants to fund projects and updates.
Some of those millions are going to parks in Central Illinois. Peoria, East Peoria, and Bloomington parks will receive $1.8 million alone.
- Village of London Mills – Fulton County – $600,000
- Village of Sparland – Marshall County – $600,000
- City of Bloomington – McLean County – $600,000
- District of Peoria, Pleasure Driveway Park – Peoria County – $600,000
- Village of Elmwood Park – Peoria County – $376,250
- Village of Bradford – Stark County – $600,000
- Fon du Lac Park District – Tazewell County – $600,000
- Village of Spring Bay – Woodford County – $168,500
Pritzker also announced that 29 underserved communities will receive more than $17 million from the Open Space Land Acquisitions and Development (OSLAD) program.
Sunnyside Park in west Bloomington will receive $600,000 to expand. Bloomington Parks and Recreation Director Eric Veal said the money will be used to add 12 acres of educational green space to the park’s landscape.
Parks and rec leaders are calling the project the Sunnyside Park Sustainability Initiative.
“It’s going to demonstrate the water lifecycle as it falls from the sky, goes to the earth, and goes through all the areas before it would get to the water treatment plant,” Veal said. “We are going to have an area where there will be a bus drop-off lane, and we will have school groups be able to come and learn about this.”
The expansion is in partnership with the Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District (BNWRD), which is also helping fund the updates that are estimated to cost $4.4 million.
Veal said the area the park sits in is growing, and more amenities are needed for residents.
“Anybody can come and use this when we’re done, and I think that the educational component along with the partnerships we have is going to make this a prominent park in our community,” Veal said.
Not being funded by the OSLAD grant, the park will also be home to a new Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal facility.
Veal said Bloomington Parks and Recreation hopes to begin working on the updates to Sunnyside sometime in 2025.
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