Fon du Lac Park District has been selected to receive a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the State of Illinois. This grant money will be used for Park improvements and the revitalization of Neumann Park in East Peoria.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) awarded a total of $55.2 million to 100 communities for local park development projects as part of the latest round of OSLAD grants. This was the Park Districts second time applying for the grant and are so unbelievably grateful we were selected this round. Our Grant Committee spent countless hours to prepare and provide a quality application that helped the IDNR selection committee approve our submission.

The Park District annually serves over 3,000 participants in our programs, and that number is modest in comparison to the number of patrons our facilities see each year. We have something for almost everyone, young and old. There were over 19,559 rounds of golf played at our golf courses, and just this year our Farm Park had over 24,000 visitors in their short season. The attendance numbers are only expected to grow with the Neumann Park additions. 

Neumann Park is the home of our All-Inclusive Playground that was installed from 2014 to 2016 with the partnership of Forever Friends Fundraising. This playground is completely 100% handicap accessible with ramped areas to allow for wheelchair traffic in the play structure. An accessible sidewalk from the parking lot to the playground has been installed as well as play features that can be used by all abilities. With the $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant received, the Park District plans to remove and replace aging infrastructure, install two new pavilions, create an accessible restroom facility, construct a splash pad, and add additional sidewalks, parking, lighting, and shade structures. Our hope is that we will break ground in the Summer of 2025 and this project will be completed in Spring of 2026. Without the OSLAD Grant, achieving these goals would not have been possible in the foreseeable future. The Park District is funded by our Taxpayers and other fees acquired. That means, for large projects, we must rely on grants to help make those ideas come to life. We are excited to see these improvements happen as well as the enjoyment that they will bring to those who visit Neumann Park. 

To learn more about the Fon du Lac Park District, you can visit our website at fondulacpark.com. For any questions about these plans or any Park District related topic, you can call us at (309) 699-3923 or email us at [email protected].