Mendota to renovate Strouss Park with $600,000 grant

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be awarding the city of Mendota a $600,000 grant to renovate Strouss Park.

This combination project involves the acquisition of land and the development of park amenities, creating a space for all ages.

The project includes rotating the west baseball field to increase the size for tournament-level play; updating dugouts, bleachers and lighting for the existing ball fields; renovating current bathrooms and the concession stand; adding an additional basketball court; creating a walking path throughout the park; building a new pavilion with restrooms on the north side; installing a new and larger playground; and enhancing the park with bike racks, picnic tables and permanent tailgating games such as bags.

In addition, Tri-County Financial Group Inc. agreed to donate a 1.88-acre parcel adjacent to Strouss Park that will expand and be included in the park, providing space for the larger ball field and new pavilion.

Strouss Park was built in 1995, and except for a few small updates, all the equipment and facilities are 29 years old.

Gov. JB Pritzker and the IDNR announced Monday that more than $55.2 million in grant funding was awarded to 100 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program. The Mendota project will cost about $1,284,700.

Mendota thanked Tri-County Financial Group and the IDNR for making this project a reality.