Shaw Local

News   •   Sports   •   Obituaries   •   eNewspaper   •   Election   •   The Scene   •   175 Years

Nowell Park Rec Center gets going; groundbreaking set Saturday

JOLIET – A big moment comes Saturday when the Joliet Park District holds a groundbreaking ceremony for the Nowell Park Recreation Center. Groundbreaking for Nowell Park Recreation Center WHEN: 10 a.m. WHERE: South end of Nowell Park near the old bathhouse WHAT: Several speakers MORE: Doughnuts, coffee and Park District giveaways to the first 100 people who attend (Provided Photo)

JOLIET – A big moment comes Saturday when the Joliet Park District holds a groundbreaking ceremony for the Nowell Park Recreation Center. Groundbreaking for Nowell Park Recreation Center WHEN: 10 a.m. WHERE: South end of Nowell Park near the old bathhouse WHAT: Several speakers MORE: Doughnuts, coffee and Park District giveaways to the first 100 people who attend (Provided Photo)

Park officials scheduled the event on a Saturday so more people could attend what they hope to be a community celebration for the long-delayed commencement of construction for the $7.7 million facility. "All the waiting and all the reports and all the [Illinois Department of Transportation] information, and the flood plain information – we're just glad that it's happening," Park District board President Sue Gulas said. "We're getting shovels in the ground." Actually, construction starts with a wrecking ball, since the old Nowell Park bathhouse will be torn down before excavation begins. (Provided Photo)

That demolition might have started by the time of the 10 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony near the bathhouse on the south end of Nowell Park, which is where the Nowell Park Recreation Center is being built. Fencing around the bathhouse went up Thursday. Demolition could start Friday or Monday, Park District Executive Director Tom Carstens said. (Eric Ginnard)

A year from now – or even sooner – the Park District might have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 30,667-square-foot recreation center. The project is estimated to take 10 to 12 months, he said. "We're looking probably, on the safe side, at more of a 12-month project," Carstens said. "We're looking probably to open this facility, if all goes well, probably a year from now." (Eric Ginnard)

He can be forgiven for being cautious on predicting the opening date, given the late development of the recreation center, which is the single biggest project being funded from the $19.5 million bond referendum that voters approved in November 2014. Carstens, who was hired after the project already was facing delays, told people who came to an April meeting for a community update on the plan that groundbreaking should have been a year ago. But the Park District ended up playing catch-up on flood plain studies and other pre-construction planning, including ensuring that future plans for nearby Route 53 would not impede access to the recreation center. Some good things happened over time. Gulas said the public seems very pleased with the Nowell Park Recreation Center as it now is designed. "We're getting nothing but positive feedback because we've changed it several times to accommodate what people were asking for," Gulas said. (Provided Photo)

Gone are plans for a lacrosse court. Instead, the rec center will have two basketball courts, which, Gulas said, will be some of the more popular features. Also added were an indoor walking track and space for a day care center – both requested at community meetings held during the course of the planning. Community meeting rooms were added, and the fitness center was downsized. "There was not a whole lot of demand for fitness," Gulas said. "We had a bigger fitness area, but we scaled it down because that's not what people were asking for." The building also was designed to be adaptable, so the fitness center can be expanded if it proves to be more popular than it appears. All that remains now is to start construction. "We're excited," Carstens said. "[Saturday] is going to be a beautiful day, and we've got a lot of people coming." (Provided Photo)