Hinkley Park Improvements

Improvement Project

Construction has begun at Hinkley Park! The project includes the addition of a picnic pavilion, accessible pathways, improved batting tunnels, game area, rain gardens, resurfacing of the basketball court, and a new playground.

View the Proposed Master Plan

Hinkley Park Improvements

Overview

July 15, 2022 - The Park Ridge Park District is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $400,000 grant for Hinkley Park from the State’s Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Gov. Pritzker announced on Friday, July 8, that the Park Ridge Park District’s Hinkley Park project is one of 87 local recreation projects, representing $30.3 million in funding assistance, approved for 2022 OSLAD grant funds.

Improvements at Hinkley Park, located at 25 Busse Hwy in Park Ridge, will include the addition of a picnic pavilion, accessible pathways, improved batting tunnels, game area, rain gardens, resurfacing of the basketball court, and a new playground. The project budget is estimated at $945,100. The $400,000 grant received is the maximum amount awarded by OSLAD for development projects, and requires the Park District to match the grant amount received. The District will provide the required matching funds from their Capital Projects Fund. 

In the past five years, the Park District has completed a number of improvement projects at Hinkley Park including renovations of the tennis courts, resurfacing of the Northwest Highway parking lot, renovations to the restrooms, the addition of a Community Garden, and upgrades to the athletic field lighting. These improvements will further enhance this heavily used park.

“We extend our gratitude to all the State legislators in our District who recognize the value of these grants in our communities and support our OSLAD Grant requests, in particular 10th District State Senator Robert Martwick and 20th District State Representative Brad Stephens for their help in securing these valuable capital funds that will improve Hinkley Park,” stated Executive Director Gayle Mountcastle.

Timeline

  • Design Development: November 2022 - January 2023
  • Construction Documents: January 2023 - March 2023
  • Permitting: April 2023 - May/June 2023
  • Bid: June 2023 - July 2023
  • Construction Begins: August 2023
  • Substantial Completion: July 26, 2024

Updates

September 11, 2024 - The project is complete, and a ceremonial ribbon cutting is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 at 5:30pm.

July 26, 2024 - The playground at Hinkley Park is now open! The construction fence is being removed, and you can start enjoying the new playground this weekend.

Please note, that limited finishing touches on the Hinkley Park Improvement Project remain, here’s what’s coming soon:

  • The new rain garden will be completed early next week.
  • The shelter is set up, with picnic tables arriving and ready for use by early next week.
  • The batting tunnels are fully functional and ready for practice swings
  • The basketball court will get its color coating next week.
 

June 28, 2024 - The playground is nearing completion. Installation of the rain garden and the picnic pavilion is in progress. The turf has been installed in the batting tunnels, and the netting is scheduled to be installed next week. The basketball goals will be installed in the next week, and the color coating of the court is to follow.

June 7, 2024 - Hinkley baseball field 3 is now ready for play.

May 31, 2024 -  The asphalt pathways, parking lot, and basketball court have been paved. The basketball court needs to cure for 30 days prior to color coating and striping. The parking lot striping is in progress, and will the lot will be opened Saturday morning.Utility work in the outfield of Field 3 was completed yesterday, and sod restoration took place today.

May 24, 2024 - Pathways have been prepped for asphalt paving.  Paving is to be installed early next week.

May 17, 2024 - Electrical work is complete. Concrete curbs were installed at the playground, and the concrete pad for the new picnic shelter was installed. The parking lot along Morris Avenue directly adjacent to the pool and basketball court has been ground and will be repaved. We anticipate the lot to reopen by June 1. The basketball court is also being repaved. The basketball court will be closed longer than the parking lot because after the paving cures, the court will be color coated and new basketball standards will be installed.

May 15, 2024 - Hinkley baseball fields 1 & 2 are ready for play; field 3 is unavailable until later in the summer. 

May 3, 2024 - Concrete continues. The batting tunnell netting is completed, and electrical work is to begin next week.

April 25, 2024 - Concrete installation continues, including the forms being installed at the playground. The batting tunnell netting is scheduled for installation this week, and electrical work is to begin this week or early next week.

April 19, 2024 - The playground has been removed along with selected trees that were in decline. This will make way for the new playground and rain garden. 

Concrete installation around fields 2 and 3 began and will be ongoing over the next week.

February 28, 2024 - Demolition, site preparation, and excavation has begun on the project. The playground is closing to the public on Monday, March 11. 

February 21, 2024 - The contractor is back on site. The batting tunnels have been removed along with other sselective demolition. New poles for the new batting tunnels and the baseball netting along Busse Highway have been installed.

November 8, 2023 - The final permit was issued on November 6. Scheduling is being worked out with the contractor.

October 19, 2023 - The permit has been approved and is awaiting signatures for official issuance.  All permits are expected to be received by end of next week. The project start date is still to be determined, and will be established once the permit is formally issued.

September 6, 2023 - We are still awaiting on all the permits for the project. We anticipate they will be received by the end of September. The contractor is ready to begin work the second week of October.

July 27, 2023 - The project was approved by the City as part of their Site Plan Review process. Additionally, the Park Board has approved Hacienda Landscaping as the low bidder for the project. 

Community Gardens

The Park District is looking to expand the Community Gardens at Hinkley Park by adding 16 new garden plots this spring. The District will appear for Site Plan Review with the City of Park Ridge on February 13 at 7:00 pm.

View the Expansion Plan

If approved, construction of the additional plots will be completed in time for May 2024 planting.

UPDATES

May 3, 2024 - The project is complete and the garden is open for planting.

April 19, 2024 - Work has begun and is tracking to be completed for the May 1 opening day.

February 21, 2024 - The project underwent the site plan review with he City on February 13, and was approved.

 

To learn more about the community gardens and how to register for a plot, click here