Elmhurst Parks: From Grand Plans To Survival Mode

ELMHURST, IL — 2020 was supposed to be a banner year for the Elmhurst Park District, with grand projects under the Vision 2020 plan.

Instead, the district went into survival mode during its centennial year because of the pandemic. It was a time marked by steep drops in income and layoffs.

Under the proposed budget for this year, operational spending is projected to drop by $4 million, or nearly 25 percent, a result of the continued decrease in income caused by the pandemic, according to a district statement Tuesday.

This drop in income comes as the park district faces the state's mandated minimum wage increase and pandemic-related expenditures such as personal protective equipment and sanitation, the district said.

As the pandemic fades, the district said it hoped to expand and restart fee-based indoor programs and services, which means hiring more staff.

In the proposed budget, the district plans to increase spending for capital projects by 14 percent, to $3.1 million.

"If the District does not maintain its assets or perform preventive maintenance of infrastructure, higher repair expenses and replacement costs will result in the long- and short-term future along with hampering our ability to provide the programs and services the community expects," the statement said.

Last year, the park board deferred 15 capital projects totaling nearly $1 million.

This year's projects include an adult center renovation and Centennial Park development, both at 155 E. St. Charles Road, the district said. The district plans to mainly pay for these projects with the $1.6 million in proceeds from the sale of The Abbey senior center to Elmhurst School District 205.

Other projects include the demolition of the building at 135 Palmer Drive and restoration of the site to expand Glos Memorial Park, the district said. That will be paid for with previously received developer donations, according to the district.

These projects are smaller that what the district had been originally planning. In 2019, the park board was discussing a referendum that would have featured far-reaching changes under the Vision 2020 plan.