IDNR donated $600 thousand to Lake Zurich for the Paulus Park project

The village of Lake Zurich received more than $600,000 in state grants to help pay for improvements to iconic Paulus Park.

There is a project to renovate the green space, including improving the splash pad at the lakeside park, rehabilitating the shoreline and adding a new band shell, gaming tables and baggo courts, among other improvements.

“This State grant is a great way to improve the quality of our public open spaces in Lake Zurich, and we are grateful for the resident participation we have received during our outreach events,” Mayor Tom Poynton said in a village news release when the grant award was made. announced.

Village leaders applied for the funding in late August and learned on Feb. 1 that the village had been awarded $600,000. The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.4 million but could be as high as $3.8 million, according to village documents. Even if there is a grant, funds from Lake Zurich will need to be covered for construction.

Paulus Park is on Rand Road in the village. The project is expected to take years to complete.

Lake Zurich had already been awarded $400,000 through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development program, which helped pay for phase one of improvements at the 41-acre park, to be completed in 2022.

OSLAD funds local parks and open space projects.

The Paulus Park project is currently in its second phase. The project received broad support from village trustees, and through a series of public meetings, residents helped determine the project’s priorities.

“Clearly, the people of Lake Zurich helped shape an impressive grant application that will have positive impacts on the community for decades to come,” Poynton said in the release.

Officials announced that with the grant money in hand, the village will hire design firms and start project tenders for construction.

Jesse Wright is a freelancer.