PARC Grant Petition

Petition Supporting the Kenilworth Park District Application for the PARC Grant

The Kenilworth Park District has a rare opportunity to apply for significant grant funding for recreation facilities through the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act program. If successful, we would use the funds to create new recreation space by excavating the Kenilworth Assembly Hall basement, add stage lighting for theater productions, and provide an ADA-accessible elevator to the basement and an ADA-accessible ramp and deck on west side of the Assembly Hall. As a bonus, the new construction would allow us to replace aging infrastructure to preserve our architectural gem. Of course, we would work closely with Historic Landmarks throughout this project.

While the grant opportunity is new, the idea to improve the Kenilworth Hall has been in the works for over a year. You can view the detailed plans and more information HERE. The project would create 8000 square feet of recreational space and necessary storage at a cost of approximately $1 million. With this grant, we can qualify for up to $750,0000.

Our first thought was to apply for the grant to fund the new Village House project, but the grant has strict parameters about plans and available funding. Unfortunately, the new Village House project lacks final plans and secured funding to qualify for this grant. Importantly, we remain enthusiastically committed to collaborate with the School Board in support of a new Village House.  

We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to sharing more details with you at a Village-wide meeting on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. at Village Hall. Please join us and share your ideas for how we can best secure funding to increase recreational opportunities for Kenilworth residents at the Assembly Hall.

And finally, to maximize our chance of winning this grant, we would like to submit with our application letters of support from the community. You can find a petition and draft letter of support HERE.

Thank you in advance for supporting our effort to secure grant funding to improve recreational opportunities in Kenilworth.

With best regards,

The Kenilworth Park District Board of Commissioners and Staff

Sign the PARC Grant Petition

Grant

44 signatures