Above / Soon visitors to Sportsman’s Park will have opportunities to explore the park and venture along the newly established trails.
The Naperville Park District invites the community to celebrate the grand opening of Sportsman’s Park, located at 735 S. West St. The event will take place at 9:30AM on Sat., October 3 near the clubhouse and parking lot on the west side of the park.
Following brief remarks by Naperville Park District Vice President Rich Janor, Mayor Steve Chirico and others, the park will officially open with a ribbon cutting and complimentary light refreshments provided by local businesses.
Above / Discover scenic views at Sportsman’s Park, located just north of the Garden Plots along West Street.
Guests will have the opportunity to explore the park, including walking the newly opened trails with scenic views of the ponds, and viewing the renovated trapshooting stations used for the Park District’s public trapshooting program on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
Sportsman’s Park, a 27-acre property given to the City of Naperville in the Caroline Martin-Mitchell bequest, is a unique community amenity, including a trapshooting facility that is open two days per week and valuable green space for the public to enjoy just minutes from downtown Naperville.
Under a lease agreement with the City of Naperville, the Naperville Park District maintains and operates Sportsman’s Park in collaboration with the Naperville Sportsman’s Club. In 2011, in cooperation with the City of Naperville, the Naperville Park District enrolled Sportsman’s Park in a site remediation plan through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the remediation was to obtain a No Further Remediation letter from the Illinois EPA for the site, allowing seven acres of the park to be open for public use. This area had been closed due to regulations associated with a previous National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in effect since 1998. Phases I and II of the site remediation plan were completed in 2013 and 2014.
Above / Look for this sign on the west side of West Street, then turn right (west) into the drive that leads to Sportsman’s Park and Trap Shooting where the Garden Plots with the Idea Gardens also help mark the spot.
In addition to remediating the site, the Naperville Park District initiated major park improvements at Sportsman’s Park. This project is supported by a multi-year grant from the City of Naperville’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities (SECA) program.
Sportsman’s Park improvements include ADA accessible walkways and shooting stations, energy efficient, low-spill sports lighting, ADA upgrades to the Sportsman’s Clubhouse, a new pervious pavement parking lot to filter stormwater on site, an asphalt driveway, approximately one mile of new trails, natural area restoration and landscaping.
“We are excited to announce that as of October 3, Sportsman’s Park is open for everyone to enjoy,” said Executive Director Ray McGury. “This project helps preserve a unique community asset, with acres of green space and scenic trails accessible to all. We are grateful for support from the City of Naperville for this community initiative.”
News release submitted by Sue Omanson for the Naperville Park District / PN photos, Sept. 23, 2015
