Boulder Point community center to grow as part of renovation project

The Oswegoland Park District has announced that construction will start in May on a renovation and addition to its Boulder Point community center.

Park district officials provided an update on the project in a recent post on the agency’s website. Boulder Point is located at the corner of Route 25 and Boulder Hill Pass in the unincorporated Boulder Hill subdivision.

“The existing space does not allow the district to meet the current demands of our community or accommodate the growth the District is still experiencing,” officials said in the post, adding, “A 3,426 square foot addition and renovations to the Boulder Point facility will allow for additional programming space while enhancing the facility that is already a community asset.”

Renovation plans include changes to the exterior, an enclosed entry vestibule, additional space for gymnastics and storage, two new community rooms, an enlarged lobby and viewing area for parents and families, updated mechanicals and ADA and Energy Efficiency improvements.

At its Jan. 16, 2020 meeting, park district commissioners voted to award a contract totaling $170,600 to Cordogan Clark & Associates, Inc. of Aurora to provide architectural and engineering services for the expansion and renovation of the facility over two years.

Commissioners also voted to approve a $24,800 agreement with Engineering Enterprises Inc. (EEI) of Sugar Grove for civil engineering services for the project.

To help finance the renovations, the district was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and a total of $10.1 million in grant funds were made available through the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act (PARC) grant program.

The PARC grant program provides up to 80% of project costs to help build, renovate and improve recreational buildings used by the public or purchase land to be used for public access and recreational purposes, with local governments matching the value of the grants awarded, according to the park district.

The Boulder Point building dates to 1967 when it opened as the new home of Zentmyer Ford. The Ford dealership’s prior location at Main and Jackson streets in downtown Oswego was destroyed in a fire June 10, 1965.

Over the years, several different auto dealers operated out of the building until it was purchased by the park district in 2009. At that time, the park district completed some initial renovations and the 14,887 square foot building has been used as the site for fitness classes, gymnastics, theatre rehearsals, preschool, and dance.

In 2018, the park district announced a comprehensive plan to “establish a clear set of goals, policies, and standards for all of the park district facilities, open space, and programs,” that include proposals and plans to expand spaces for programming.