Dogs will have their day in Elmhurst soon! The Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners approved the name of the future dog park to be “Canine Corner” during their Monday, November 27 meeting, marking an important step for the project. Construction of the dog park is slated to begin in the spring.
In honor of National Dog Day on August 26, staff asked the community to submit suggestions to name the dog park via Facebook and the District’s community e-newsletter. After a review of more than 200 suggestions, Canine Corner was chosen as a fun, playful name that also made clear the purpose of the site with a hint to its geographic location.
Canine Corner, to be located at 0S761 Old York Road, will be the first dog park in Elmhurst. Residents of Elmhurst have consistently voiced their interest in a dog park in recent years. Land for the park was purchased in 2017 and a Master Plan was approved the following year. The park will include large and small dog play areas, a water feature, agility course and more. Following delays due to the pandemic, the Park District began site prep work this year in anticipation of construction work in 2024.
There has also been ongoing work by Park District staff to secure alternate revenue sources for the dog park. Based on these efforts, the Park Board was pleased to accept two significant private donations for the dog park. The first was a donation for a sponsorship of the 20 x 40-foot shelter from long-time Elmhurst veterinarian John Devries and his wife Linda while the second sponsorship was for the entry plaza with dog sculpture and a bench from Michele Pflum and Kevin Graf.
Staff efforts to secure additional sponsorships will continue, with a variety of sponsorship levels and opportunities for businesses or private donors now available. Sponsoring a park amenity is a wonderful way to contribute to your community in a substantial and significant way. Download the Dog Park Sponsorship Flyer to view current opportunities or reach out to Director of Marketing, Kari Felkamp, at kfelkamp
epd.org (kfelkamp[at]epd[dot]org).
Today is Giving Tuesday – a day devoted to generosity and contributing to causes close to your heart. This year, consider giving the gift of play by sponsoring a feature at Canine Corner!
