OAK PARK, Ill. (CBS) — Some Oak Park neighbors say they don’t want to see the fieldhouse in their local park torn down and replaced with a new one. On Wednesday they came to the village leaders to say so.
Many passionate people attended an Oak Park Park Board meeting Wednesday evening. Many have some connection to Field Park – located between Berkshire and Division streets, just west of Horace Mann Elementary School at 921 N. Kenilworth Ave. – and don’t want this to change.
The Field Park fieldhouse, located in the center of the park’s western edge, has served the people of Oak Park for nearly 100 years. But now the Park District of Oak Park says the structure is failing and the building must be dismantled.
A new plan was presented on Wednesday evening.
The district said the new building would be twice the size of the old one. It would be moved to the northwest corner of the park on Berkshire Street, making room for more after-school programs and the dance program.
“Once we make that decision, how are we going to put something in place that doesn’t blow up a really special place?” said Patrick Brown, founder of Chicago-based architecture studio ORG Inc., which conceived the new fieldhouse design.
Residents were asked to provide their input and did not shy away from doing so.
“Don’t touch it!” a man said from a chair at the meeting.
They fear the $2.8 million building will cost taxpayers money, put a damper on rugged natural areas like the children’s hill, remove trees, relocate a playground and create a traffic nightmare.
“This is where kids play after school. They come here for recess,” said another man at the meeting. “Yesterday there were 20 kids playing; girls chasing boys. It happens all the time.”
Meanwhile, taxpayers are concerned about the $2.8 million for the new building.
But some also expressed their support.
“I appreciate the time and effort you put into this. There may be some disagreement about where or what should go and how it should be done,” said Michael Chitwood of Oak Park. He gestured to the man who had spoken about the children playing near the field house as he added, “To your point, the people who are not represented here, there are children who come here. There are people who will benefit from the project.”
Feedback from the meeting will be taken to the park district board and the location will be discussed.
In February, the district will present a plan at the next community meeting based on the input they received Wednesday evening. Residents still fear they will be left in the dark about what’s to come.
