On the November 5, 2024 ballot, the Park District is giving residents the choice to fund high-priority projects identified by the community through a referendum.
A successful referendum would enable the District to replace Wagner Community Center, which was built in the 1950s as an elementary school, and build a new facility that will serve all ages and reduce wait lists. It would also fund a community bandshell in Wilder Park, permanent heated restrooms at Wilder, Eldridge, and Crestview parks as well as along the Prairie Path, and the conversion of a grass field to artificial turf at Berens Park.
To ensure residents receive accurate and timely information, the Park District is providing several resources, including tax impact details and FAQs, which can be found at epd.org/referendum.
Did You Know
- The Park District has 36 multipurpose rectangular fields and 27 ball diamonds but only one indoor basketball court and no indoor artificial turf.
- The Park District hasn’t gone to referendum since 1971. In 1971, voters approved a $3.9 million bond referendum for land acquisition and development. The majority of the Park District’s present land was purchased during this time, along with new park development.
- The Park District currently has nearly 15 miles of outdoor walking trails but only 1/16 of a mile of indoor walking space.
- Elmhurst Park District’s tax rate is in the lower third of all park districts in DuPage County.
- The amount per property tax dollar currently paid to the Elmhurst Park District is 5 cents.
- If the referendum is approved, the Park District will have more dollars to make other park and facility improvements.
- The Park District will not continue to spend money operating an inefficient, 1950s era building.
- The Park District will generate more non-tax revenues at the new, larger Wagner Community Center that could help fund other priorities, including athletic fields.
Did You Know - Wagner Community Center
- The proposed new Wagner Community Center would be four times the size of the current building. The proposed new Wagner Community Center is 127,250 square feet (current Wagner Community Center is 32,000 square feet).
- The proposed gymnasium portion of a new Wagner Community Center would have space for 4 regulation high school basketball courts/2 regulation standard National Basketball Association (NBA) courts, 12 pickleball courts, or 4 practice/2 competition volleyball courts.
- The gymnasium alone would be similar in size to the elementary school portion of the current Wagner Community Center. The new gymnasium would be 27,285. The current, original portion of Wagner Community Center is 32,000.
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The size of the proposed indoor artificial turf field at Wagner Community Center will be comparable to The ARC in Woodridge and Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center in Glen Ellyn.
Indoor Turf Proposed Wagner Community Center 24,700 sq. ft. Ackerman (Glen Ellyn) 26,332 sq. ft. The ARC (Woodridge) 27,000 sq. ft.
