St Charles Park District
The Park District has served
St. Charles area residents since 1911. Through a planned and
aggressive acquisition program, the District has been able
to protect and preserve considerable acreage of prairies,
wetlands, and woodlands for the St. Charles community. With
more than 1,400 acres of park land, people of all ages and
ability levels can enjoy leisurely walks, running, bicycling,
golfing, picnicking, boating, fishing, skating, soccer, basketball,
baseball, swimming, and more!
The Park District is an award recipient of the prestigious
National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation
Management presented by the National Recreation and Park Association
and The Sports Foundation, Inc. This award identified the
St. Charles Park District as one of the Best in the Nation,
serving a population of 20,000-50,000 residents.
Experience the joy of learning and sharing, the thrill of
adventure and discovery, and the pride of accomplishment at
the St. Charles Park District. People of all ages are encouraged
to enjoy their local parks and participate in a variety of
social and educational programs.
Opportunities include spending quality time with family and
friends, being creative with arts & crafts, wandering
the wetlands and prairies, visiting unique places on trips,
competing in sports, joining a fitness class or educational
program, mini-golfing along the Fox River, and/or exploring
the wonders nature provides.
East Side Sports Complex - 55.6 acres
The need for more athletic fields, basketball courts, tennis
courts, skate parks, etc. continues to grow in the greater
St. Charles area as the community expands at a rapid pace
to accommodate an influx of new residents! The St. Charles
Park Board chose to address the need for such a facility by
developing a large sports complex that would provide a safe
and fun atmosphere where people of all ages can enjoy a variety
of leisure and competitive sports. The Park District’s
new 102-acre East Side Sports Complex is located in St. Charles
Township east of Kirk Road and south of Route 64.
The East Side Sports Complex was acquired at a cost of $7,753,635.
The St. Charles Park District acquired title to 75.5 acres
for $6,253,635 and the Kane County Forest Preserve District
acquired 20 acres at a cost of $1,500,000. An additional 6.5
acres were donated by the original owner. The Park District
manages the entire park site and is responsible for the cost
of developing the entire 102-acre parcel. To date, the Park
District has spent $4,210,300 on development with additional
expenditures on the horizon.
The first phase of the project, encompassing almost 56 acres,
included four-lighted baseball/softball fields, two lighted
basketball courts, a playground, a shelter, mass grading,
drainage, walking trail, restroom, wetland detention area
and a parking lot.
Phase II facilities, developed on the above acreage, included
a 17,500 sq. ft. lighted skate park, four additional lighted
ball diamonds, a lighted soccer field, a multipurpose playfield,
two lighted tennis courts, and six lighted sand volleyball
courts. A main access road connects the complex to Kirk Road,
a major thoroughfare between Illinois Routes 64 and 38.
As funds become available in the future, the facility will
be expanded. Conceptual development plans include expanded
parking, a shelter, restrooms, trail system, dog park, picnic
area, savannah restoration, and nine multipurpose athletic
fields to be used for soccer, football, rugby, and lacrosse.
The Park District also hopes to develop a fishing pond and
walking trails on the Kane County Forest Preserve District’s
portion of the property. The Forest Preserve’s portion
of the site will be reforested and served by a separate parking
lot.
The St. Charles Park Board, along with hundreds of residents,
celebrated the Grand Opening of Phase I of the East Side Sports
Complex on Saturday, June 1, 2002. The grand opening event
was planned in cooperation with the St. Charles Boys’
Baseball Association and the Girls’ & Women’s
Softball Association. People of all ages enjoyed an evening
of picnicking, numerous giveaways, and baseball/softball games.
Christopher Burke Engineering of St. Charles, G. A. Blocker
Grading Contractor, Inc. of Oswego, and Wehler-Peterson &
Associates, Ltd. of Batavia sponsored this event. The festivities
began with a party “kick-off” picnic at 6 p.m.
and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 p.m. St. Charles high school
student, Gabe Bauer, sung the national anthem prior to the
start of four different baseball/softball games.
Retired baseball legends Jimmy Piersall, Bob Miller, and Paul
Popovich signed autographs. Terry
Donahue, a retired baseball star from the Peoria Redwings
Women’s Baseball Team, was one of the several selected
to throw out a first pitch that night. Spectators had chances
to win several baseballs autographed by former Major League
players as well as Park District gift certificates and Pepsi
Cola Co. promotional items. There was also a special appearance
by Ozzie, Kane County Cougars’ mascot.
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Cumberland Green Cooperative