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Chicago Tribune

Oak Brook to put off tennis, pickleball, playground improvements after grant rejection

A plan to upgrade tennis, pickleball and playground facilities in Oak Brook is being shelved for now after the Oak Brook Park District was not chosen for a state grant that would have helped fund the projects. But Park District officials said the grant denial will not result in any facility closures or reduction of available resources for playground and tennis and pickleball court users. In August, the park board applied for a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The grant money would have helped fund the replacement of existing tennis courts, enhance pickleball courts, expand parking near the pickleball courts and replace two playgrounds at the Family Recreation Center, as part of what would have been an estimated $6 million project, said Laure Kosey, the Park District's executive director. Officials learned in January the Park District had not been chosen to receive the grant. 'While it is disappointing, we will apply for the grant again,' Kosey said. 'We are looking for alternative funding as well as applying for the grant again. The grant is a big piece and starts the clock ticking on the project. 'If we were to get the grant, we would explore alternative funding, such as sponsorship and naming rights. The Oak Brook Park District Foundation is working on this project right now.' The Park Board decided in November 2024 that if the park district did not receive the grant, the pickleball courts and parking for those, tennis courts, and playgrounds would not be replaced or enhanced at this time. Kosey said the Park District has approximately $3 million in its Tennis Center reserves that could be used for the project. And given the district's previous success in obtaining state grants, there's still room for optimism about future improvements. The Park District has received OSLAD grants in the past, most recently in 2022. 'In the last 10 years or so, we have applied for four OSLAD grants and have been awarded each grant,' she said.