Elmhurst Park District will ask voters for tax increase to pay for new Wagner center, band shell

The Elmhurst Park District will ask voters in November to approve an $89.95 million funding plan for a new Wagner Community Center, a band shell in Wilder Park and other outdoor amenities.

It’s the first time in more than half a century that the park district has placed a referendum question on election ballots.

Park leaders are seeking voter permission to issue bonds to replace the community center, build the band shell, convert a grass field to artificial turf at Berens Park and install heated, permanent restrooms in Wilder Park, Crestview Park, Eldridge Park and along the Prairie Path.

If the request is approved by voters, the owner of a home valued at $500,000 – the median in Elmhurst – would pay about $317 in additional property taxes to the park district per year.

The ballot question is the culmination of the Elevate Elmhurst Parks initiative, a planning process that involved surveys, open houses and discussion groups. Executive Director Jim Rogers said one primary finding wasn’t really a surprise. “There are a lot of unmet needs for recreational programming in this community,” he said.

“Our plan found that in the year 2022 alone, 5,600 people were left on wait lists. So No. 1, we don’t have enough space,” Rogers said.

The Wagner Community Center originally was a grade school. While the district has “made good use of it for a number of years, it has severe limitations” from the perspective of accessibility, safety and efficiency, Rogers said.

“There’s kind of a correct perception that most of what takes place at the Wagner center, currently, because of its size limitations, is programming for children,” he said.

By contrast, the new community center would be four times larger than the existing 32,000-square-foot Wagner building and provide year-round recreation for all ages.

The proposed $84.95 million facility would house a free, elevated, three-lane walking track; gym space for pickleball, basketball, volleyball and other sports; an artificial turf field; and larger spaces for gymnastics and dance. It also would contain dedicated early childhood and preschool spaces, plus multipurpose spaces for general programming and community gatherings.

“In Elmhurst, we’ve had successful school referendums that have enhanced the schools throughout the community. The library went to referendum about 20 years ago and that facility is still very, very well regarded and is an attractive part of this community,” Rogers said. “So we really think that the community desires to see that the park district’s facilities and park amenities really are at that same standard as well.”

The band shell generally would be situated on the lawn east of the Wilder mansion, an area where the district has long hosted concerts and movie screenings.

“But the idea here is to do something that’s more permanent and really is something that we feel is more in keeping with what the community would like to see in the park district and in Wilder Park in particular,” Rogers said.

The district last went to voters with a referendum question in 1971.

“Our residents have been an essential part of this planning process from the beginning, sharing their vision during the Elevate Elmhurst planning project, providing feedback on projects during multiple open houses and most recently answering questions on a voter survey,” park board President Kevin Graf said in a statement. “We are excited to give the community the opportunity to determine the future of the park district.”

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240812/news/elmhurst-park-district-will-ask-voters-for-tax-increase-to-pay-for-new-wagner-center-band-shell/