Evanston upgrades, re-opens Bent Park Field House after 2022 fire
Evanston residents welcomed back the field house to the Sixth Ward's Bent Park in late May. The Field House had been shut down for nearly three years following a 2022 fire caused by fireworks, according to a city official.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the field house, built in 1927 and located near Harrison Street and Hastings Avenue, on May 23. The repairs to the field house include upgrades to the 805-square-foot building, which will house park and recreation programs and accommodate up to 36 people, according to the city's Capital Planning & Engineering Bureau Chief Lara Biggs. The field house's reopening also provides bathroom access for people at Bent Park.
The Bent Park Field House is now American with Disabilities Act accessible and fully electric and has no carbon emissions, aligning with the city's Climate Action and Resilience Plan. The building's exterior features new brickwork and a new roof, which was heavily damaged by the fire, Biggs said.
The City Council approved work contracts for Bent Park in 2024, per city documents. The original cost for the repairs and upgrades was estimated at $624,980, funded by the city's general fund and an $89,000 insurance reimbursement.
The repair cost shot up after a structural engineer hired by the contractor reviewed the site. The engineer discovered the masonry was oxidized and needed to be replaced, along with the porch, causing the cost of the repairs to go up $181,000.
Green energy upgrades were implemented during repairs, as much of the HVAC and electrical equipment was damaged in the fire and needed to be replaced, Biggs told Pioneer Press via email. Given that the city would have eventually made those upgrades to the field house to comply with the city's climate action plan and the Healthy Building Ordinance, Biggs said it was cost-effective to do it then.
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