Park district receives $600K state grant to help fund Naperville's Nike complex upgrades

The Naperville Park District was awarded a $600,000 OSLAD grant to help fund $4.25 million in improvements at the Nike Sports Complex, including synthetic turf, playground renovations, a challenge course, a loop trail and a shelter. Construction is expected to begin late this year and continue into 2028.

The Naperville Park District has been awarded a $600,000 state grant from the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program to help fund $4.25 million in planned improvements at the Nike Sports Complex. The upgrades were selected after extensive input from Naperville residents and cover fields, play areas and site amenities. The OSLAD program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and provides matching funding for local park projects. The district has received OSLAD support in the past and officials said the grant will help accelerate work at the Nike site. Key details: - The state grant totals $600,000 and is from the OSLAD program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. - The full scope of improvements is estimated at $4.25 million and includes synthetic turf on three existing ball fields, playground renovations, a challenge course area, a 10-foot-wide asphalt loop trail and a shelter overlooking the cricket field. - Naperville Little League Baseball has pledged a $200,000 donation earmarked specifically for replacing grass fields with synthetic turf. - Since 1986 the OSLAD program has awarded about $675 million statewide; in the latest round $36 million went to 67 local park projects. - The Nike improvements were removed from a previously proposed $135 million bond referendum after lower resident interest; the district is now pursuing a separate $120 million bond sale that includes a new Frontier Sports Complex activity center and trail expansion, with a referendum vote scheduled for March. - Construction on the Nike Sports Complex improvements is expected to begin late this year and continue into 2028, according to officials. Summary: The OSLAD grant will contribute to a set of resident-informed upgrades at the Nike Sports Complex, combining public funding and a local donation to support field and site improvements. Construction timing is planned from late this year through 2028, and a separate bond referendum tied to other district projects will go to residents for a March vote.