The Elk Grove Park District began a multi-year native landscape restoration project within Colony Park in 2018.

You may have recently been seeing the firm managing the restoration, Integrated Lakes Management (ILM), removing brush, spreading native seed, and installing erosion control blanketing along the creek. ILM has also removed large tree stumps, created burnable piles, and conducted a controlled burn of landscape debris and brush. Park District Staff have also removed discarded scrap metal and other debris from the site.  

Among the species seed recently planted in the park are Acorus calamus (Sweet Flag), Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed), Eupatorium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia), Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain), Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan), Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant), and Silphium terebin (Prairie Dock) along with nearly 200 other sedges, grasses, and wildflower species.

Seal-coating and striping are annual projects done throughout the district on a rotational and as-needed basis. The Al Hattendorf Community Center north parking lot had some patched areas and was seal coated in 2016. Parking lot maintenance was completed at the Community Athletic Fields in summer of 2017 following construction. Additional parking lot maintenance is scheduled in summer/fall of 2017 at Huntington Chase, Morton Park, and Kenneth Young Center as well as the Pavilion South Parking lot. Staff has a plan to replace 400 watt HID parking lot lights with LED lighting throughout the district in keeping with our dedication to promotion of sound environmental practices and lifestyles. Those replacements occurred in 2016 at The Al Hattendorf Community Center, Audubon Skate Park, Elk Grove Historical Museum Campus and Rainbow Falls. Outdoor lighting improvements were completed at Fox Run Golf Links parking lot in summer of 2017.

Due to overall damage from the EAB in Elk Grove Village and surrounding communities, the demand for replacement trees is high, along with watering needs and staff availability. The District therefore developed a four year replacement plan with approximately 100 trees per year being replaced from 2014 through 2017.

The 22 year old CAF concession stand was razed in 2016 and a new, brick building was erected to provide storage, concessions, shade and restroom facilities for the largest athletic field complex in the district. The project was completed with a ribbon cutting ceremony in spring of 2017 to much praise from the community. Wi-Fi services are now available at the facility to accommodate our residents and visitors.

The 20 year old lagoon filter exceeded its life expectancy and needed a total reconditioning, which was accomplished in 2016 along with a steam room generator replacement. Our ever growing swim team upgraded its competitive program by purchasing a touchpad scoring and timing system for hosting swim meets. In 2017 during the annual maintenance shut down the lap pool will be repainted and Life Floor will be installed on the deck throughout the facility.

Our waterpark facility received a major overhaul in 2016. New outdoor deck furniture was purchased, pool drain grates were replaced, the concrete decking was extended and various filters and motors were refurbished/replaced. A new paint job on the slide flumes and funhouse structure gave the park a refreshed appearance. Our own in-house marketing staff member designed the colorful new funhouse panels giving that feature a whole new makeover. In spring of 2017 the overhaul was completed with painting of all three pools, interior slide refinishing and tube replacement. In-Line Rink Improvements located on RBF grounds were completed in 2016 as well as parking lot light upgrades. The District partnered with the In-Line Association to purchase a new scoreboard for the facility.

The basketball court was resurfaced in 2016 and an accessible fishing pier was erected to provide an alluring spot for residents to expose local youngsters to the relaxing sport of fishing. The pier was christened at our first fishing derby in 2016 which, due to popularity, will become an annual event.

Morton Park playground was renovated in spring of 2016. A rustic fishing camp theme was chosen due to the park's close proximity to Salt Creek. A rocking canoe, large fishing net and rustic cabin with slides and an oversized tackle box encourage kids to use their imagination. Swings and park furniture provide play and snack areas for park visitors. This project was partially funded by a grant.

In cooperation with Community Consolidated School District 59, the playground dating from 2000 was removed and is being renovated. The School District helps to pay for equipment while a grant and park district funds complete the budget. The playground will be the second in the Park District to be a National Demonstration Site for "Play On!" youth fitness as awarded by Play Core and Gametime Recreation. This program helps to reduce childhood obesity and increase physical fitness through active and challenging play.

A major interior rehab was completed at the Pavilion building in 2015. During that year, the District partnered with the Village of Elk Grove to purchase the electronic sign located on the northeast corner of the property. Roof improvements were subsequently performed to prevent leakage. The popular Jumps & Jiggles room was updated with colorful new counters and cabinets to allow parents to sit and watch their children at play.

The District prides itself on providing a high-quality fitness center with extensive equipment options, including over 180 cardio machines, 240 weight stations, an expansive free weight area and indoor running track. An ongoing equipment replacement plan enables the center to stay up-to-date by annually replacing a portion of aging equipment with the most current offerings available. In July, 2017, both men's and women's locker rooms got a fresh new look with modernized, keyless entry lockers and new restroom partitions.

This very popular children's theme park is designed to stimulate and encourage exploration and imagination for children between the ages of 1 and 9. In 2016, the concession area was redesigned and beautified with an ADA accessible brick paver system. The paver project was continued in spring of 2017 to extend from the concession area through much of the walking path, with the goal of repaving the entire park over a 3-4 year period. The 30 year old pirate ship had some structural repairs and was equipped with canopies on the upper deck to provide much needed shade for patrons. The pond waterfall was upgraded with new metal grating and pump replacements, which had deteriorated over time.

Golf cart GPS units were replaced in 2016 with more up-to-date technology. Additionally, bridges were repaved with a porous material to replace asphalt that had eroded due to years of flooding. Cart path repairs continue on an annual basis as needed. In 2016 repairs were made to hole #12. In 2017 new tee boxes were added to hole #17 along with cart path repairs.

The District was very proud to install an accessible playground at the AHC in 2016, which has turned out to be one of the most popular playgrounds in the district. This play area is designed for all ages and sizes to play together. The unitary safety surface is a lower maintenance option and should last 8-10 years. Fencing and gates were added to provide a more secure play area. Additionally, improvements were made to the family bocce ball courts with two new shade shelters and picnic tables, a game table and an added handicap parking space. The interior of the building was upgraded with new flooring in the senior center to complete the flooring project for the entire building. Hattendorf is truly a multi-generational facility with something for everyone.

For the last five years, the Park District has been working toward repurposing the 20 year old small inline rink to provide an outdoor skate park. We are currently working with a consulting firm to design an outdoor concrete skate park which will be aesthetically appealing as well as provide a challenging skate course for our patrons for year round use. Community input was encouraged and enthusiastically provided for this project, in order to better design for the users.