09.12.14

Durbin Announces More Than $1.6 Million in Funding For Cook County Parks, Outdoor Recreation

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior, through the National Park Service, has issued grants totaling $1,654,000 in funding for two outdoor areas in Cook County, Illinois. Today’s funding was made available through the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund grant program.

“Parks serve a variety of purposes: they are a place where parents can play with their children and people of all ages can exercise and lead healthy, active lives. Today’s announcement will help create new parks and outdoor recreation spaces in Cook County that will be enjoyed by the community for many years to come,” Durbin said.

The following communities in Cook County will receive funding in today’s announcement:

  • Forest Preserve District of Cook County (River Forest, Illinois): will be awarded $904,000 in funding to acquire a 29.3 acre parcel adjacent to the Tinley Creek Preserve for future development as a park.
  • Park Ridge Park District (Park Ridge, Illinois): will be awarded $750,000 to acquire 11.35 acres of property to be redeveloped as the Youth Campus Park. The prosed park development will include a splash pad water park, playground, green space amphitheater, paddle ball courts, landscaping and parking.

The Land and Water Conservation Program provides matching grants to states and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.