Plans for a dog park in Elmhurst are coming together. The Park Board approved hiring Upland Design to complete dog park architecture and engineering services at their Monday, December 19 meeting. The future dog park will be located at 0S761 Old York Road.
Last week, Park District staff began demolishing and removing a dilapidated two-car garage located at the property. The structure is collapsing onto itself and the removal eliminates the nuisance from the property and the need to monitor and inspect the structure.
The proposed dog park is a large-scale project priority based on community feedback. The Park Board approved a master plan for a dog park in 2018, which included play areas, agility course, natural hill and tunnel, waste bag dispensers, picnic shelters and more.
Due to the financial impacts of the pandemic, work on the dog park was put on hold while park and facility projects with dedicated revenue sources were completed, including the renovation of Centennial Recreation Center, the development of Centennial Park and the expansion of Glos Memorial Park, all of which were completed in 2022. Now, the Park District looks forward to making the dog park a priority in the coming years.
It would be an exciting expansion of park offerings in Elmhurst, providing a safe place for dogs to be off-leash in a park and reducing the number of off-leash dogs in District parks.
In 2023, the Park District intends to complete architecture and engineering services, including the permitting process for the future dog park. Construction and the opening of the dog park would follow in 2024.
Park Board approves moving forward with dog park architecture and engineering services
