A blacktop that currently sits behind Washington Irving Elementary School on the southeast side of Oak Park could soon become a sustainable and environmentally friendly green space – if the community can raise the funds.
Dozens of community members gathered Wednesday night at Irving School for a community forum for a presentation of the three-part, $3.2 million project to renovate the school’s existing open space, entryway and parking lot from their current asphalt state to a more eco-friendly and interactive area.
Site Design Group, a Chicago-based landscape architecture firm, presented the three-phase plan to the community, touching on creating a functional and sustainable area in the current constrained space. Some of the project highlights a more dynamic playground structure, muti-use gathering spaces, an artificial turf field, native plantings, outdoor learning spaces and more.
Site Design Group representatives, Irving staff and PTO as well as District 97 Superintendent Al Roberts were available to answer questions about the project. Members of the South East Oak Park Community Organization were also present and helped mediate the question and answer session.
“This is bigger than dealing with the blacktop,” Irving parent and project spokesman Jassen Strokosch said. “This is a master plan, including focus on signage, way finding, a community garden and entryways. It’s a whole host of things in a comprehensive plan.”
The parking lot and playground portion of the project was dubbed Phase 1, and given the largest of the three price tags at a little more than $2 million. Phase 2, or the field space, was tagged at about $911,000 and Phase 3, or the front entrances, rounded out at $253,000.
Following the meeting, Irving Schoolyard Project volunteers and members of the PTO stood before the audience and pleaded for help raising the funds necessary to get started on the project.
Strokosch said the project currently has about $15,000 in cash socked away, and project volunteers are working on researching and applying for various grant money. He said the team recently applied for a grant with the Environmental Protection Agency that could provide for “significant work” if Irving receives the money.
District 97 also budgeted about $250,000 in playground equipment improvements for each of its schools, but Superintendent Roberts said Irving could receive more depending on the cost of renovations at other schools.
Irving recently installed solar panels, with support and partial funding coming from Strokosch and other Irving Schoolyard Project volunteers. The panels, installed atop the school, are expected to provide the energy for one of the school’s classrooms and serve as an education tool.
Strokosch said the soonest the first phase of project construction could start would be 2013, depending on whether or not the funds become available. The goal is to get the money raised and the project rolling forward as soon as possible, he said. Construction work is slated to only take place during summer months, Strokosch said, in order to cause as little disruption to the school year as possible.
When asked if he thought the District 97 school board would support the project, Roberts expressed faith it would receive a green light.
“The committee has stood before the board three or four times, and they’ve been very supportive of the project not only to accommodate the school and kids, but our community as well as (South East Oak Park Community Organization),” Roberts said.”
For more information on the project, go to irvingschoolyard.com.
bdoyle@tribune.com
