Village of Perry to receive $600,000 IDNR park grant

By Editor | February 5, 2024 |

By DAVID CAMPHOUSE

Submitted graphic
The Village of Perry last week learned that it will be the recipient of a $600,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant. The grant will allow the Village to more than double the size of the village’s “East Park.” In addition, the grant will fund the addition of many amenities to the park – including a walking path, pickleball court, basketball court, ADA compliant parking, concrete patio with a grill, as well as a pavilion with family toilet. The park sits at the Main Street site of the Perry Church of Christ, which burned after being struck by lightning.

The Village of Perry last week learned that it will be the recipient of a $600,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant.

The grant will allow the Village to more than double the size of the village’s “East Park.” In addition, the grant will fund the addition of many amenities to the park. The park sits at the Main Street site of the Perry Church of Christ, which burned after being struck by lightning.

The grant application and site plans were prepared by the village’s engineering firm, Benton and Associates.

According to Benton and Associates Associate Program Manager Greg Hillis, the OSLAD grant program is a 100 percent grant – meaning that the village will not have to provide any matching funds.

Included in the grant proposal are the following features:

• Walking path around the perimeter of the park.

• Pickleball court.

• Half court basketball court.

• ADA compliant parking.

• Concrete patio with a grill.

• Pavilion with family toilet.

Perry Village Board Member Nikki Mountain shared details of the plans for the park in a recent Facebook post. Mountain shared that although many exciting new features would be added, the portion of the park devoted to memorializing the Church of Christ would remain intact.

“The $600,000 grant will help the Village upgrade the Church of Christ Memorial Park into a multi-use, handicap-accessible public park with a pickle ball court, half basketball court, paved walking path, and shelterhouse with a restroom,” Mountain shared on Facebook.

“The northeast corner of the property where the Church of Christ stood will remain as it currently exists, an area for respectful remembrance.”

Hillis indicated that the proposed park expansion was an effort on the part of the village to improve the quality of life for residents.

“The board wants to improve everything for the community,” Hillis said. “They’d be adding some great features encouraging families and kids to spend time outside.”

According to Hillis, a total of $56,000,000 was made available for OSLAD grants statewide during the current grant cycle. Hillis said that Perry’s inclusion on IDNR’s list of economically distressed communities made the village eligible to apply.

The effort to improve and expand Perry’s East park, Mountain indicated, is part of a larger push to improve the community.

Several community leaders and residents are working together to form a new group devoted to improving the community. The group is named Perry Area Community Enrichment (PACE). The group is being organized as a non-profit organization to lead fundraising and community betterment activities.

“We’re forming a 501(c)(3) organization in an effort to work toward a number of community revitalization projects,” Mountain said.

“We are trying to do some things to spruce up the community. We want to maintain and build community enthusiasm in Perry.”