Lakewood’s Haligus Road Park to get grant funding for new playgrounds

The Crystal Lake Park District plans to buy equipment for two playgrounds this month for Haligus Road Park in Lakewood after receiving a grant for more than $162,000.

The grant came from GameTime, Cunningham Recreation and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.

“We’re getting both playgrounds at a 50% discount,” said Amy Olson, the park district’s manager of park planning and development.

The Play On grant requires playgrounds to have physical and mental engagement, according to park district documents.

“The purpose of Play On is to promote physical fitness and fun through the use of well-designed outdoor play environments and creative playground learning activities to promote health, fitness, learning and overall well-being in children,” according to the documents.

The park district is expected to pay about $218,000 in total costs for the new playgrounds, an amount the park district board unanimously approved Thursday.

The park district plans to use its Special Recreation Fund to help cover the remaining cost, Olson said. The fund has a surplus of more than $200,000, according to park district documents.

The two playgrounds will cater to different age groups; one will be for kids ages 2 to 5, and the other will be geared toward kids ages 5 to 12.

Both will have Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible features, including a “whirl-around,” Olson said.

“It’s basically like a merry-go-round they can just roll right onto,” Crystal Lake Park District Executive Director Jason Herbster said. “It’s pretty cool.”

Wheelchair swings were not included because they can be difficult to maintain since they get vandalized frequently, Olson said.

Other features include mounds, swing sets and slides.

“It really pushes the envelope on activity and engagement,” Olson said.

Park board commissioner Cathy Cagle said she wants the park to have features that teenagers can use. Olson still is finalizing details for other areas around the park and said hammocks are an option to cater to teens.

Haligus Road Park received $600,000 from a state Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant earlier this year. The grant will help fund creating the 10-acre park, which the park district hopes to fill with gardens, walking paths and pickleball courts.