Fountain Square Park in Elk Grove Village, Ill., was recognized with an Outstanding Facility and Parks Award in 2012 from the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association. "The renovated park is an exceptional facility for the Elk Grove Parks District, and one of several unique parks that serve our community," said Valerie Gerdes Lemme, RLA, a park planner with the Elk Grove Parks District. Fountain Square Park is 7.82 acres in size and located on the west side of Elk Grove Village, near the city of Chicago.
Photos: Elk Grove Parks District

Elk Grove Village in Illinois was named a Playful City, USA, earlier this year because of the high quality of its parks and the recreational opportunities they offer residents.

Fountain Square Park is one of the reasons why.

The Elk Grove Parks District opened a water playground within Fountain Square Park in 1991. It included a ground level spray pad with colored concrete made by SCS Interactive, a water park builder. A small water play structure with a slide, crawl tunnel and climber was also installed there, made by Miracle Play, a playground equipment manufacturer.

"This was the first participatory water feature in the west Chicago region to provide free aquatic play without lifeguards, now called splash pads or splash parks," Valerie Gerdes Lemme, RLA and planner with the Elk Grove Parks District, said.

The grand opening for the original Fountain Square Park splash pad and water playground was held in 1991. SCS Interactive built the slash pad, or "participatory" water feature. It contained 12 fountain jets that shot water 8-10 feet in the air. A water play structure with a slide, crawl tunnel and climber, made by Miracle Play Equipment, was also installed there.

Elk Grove residents flocked to the water play area as a welcome respite from the heat in the summer. As a free amenity, it was a popular destination for many camps and day care groups back then "?u and it remains so today.

"The splash pad was so popular that some residents had to stop using the splash pad because of the crowds," Lemme said.

About 15 years later, the Elk Grove Parks District decided Fountain Square needed a facelift, and the district also had to meet ADA requirements for accessibility to the handicapped and disabled.

The Elk Grove Parks District maintains approximately 473 acres of open recreational space, including 44 parks, 19 public tennis courts and a community athletic facility with football, soccer and baseball fields. Elk Grove Village is a city in northeastern Illinois that is near O'Hare International Airport and the city of Chicago. The population was 33,127 at the 2010 census.

Renovation of Fountain Square Park began in 2007 and took several years to complete. The water playground and splash pad were upgraded and other improvements were made to the rest of the park. Then a second grand opening for the renovated Fountain Square Park was held in 2012. Design Perspectives was the landscape architect for the renovation project. Some new park features included bocce ball and bag toss courts from Gametime. A sensory garden and water fountain, designed by Brusseau Design Group, Tom Lind, RLA, and Innovative Aquatic Design, are also recent additions.

Neighbors provided valuable insights as to how to upgrade Fountain Square, and the Elk Grove Parks District staff incorporated energy savings strategies into its design. An Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources helped fund the park renovation.

Lemme was the project manager and construction supervisor for the renovation. She was also part of the design team, as well as the grant administrator and contact person for the residents' committee. The parks district's construction crew, and the city of Elk Grove finance and horticulture teams contributed to the project. Lemme noted that it was a truly a team effort, and that the park district's board of commissioners fully supported it.

Design Perspectives was the landscape architect for the park upgrade; one of its assigned priorities was to make sure the revamped park exceeded expectations for accessibility and provided recreation opportunities for all residents, Lemme said.

Renovation of the Fountain Square began in 2007 and took a few years to complete. The water park was the first phase. When the rest of Fountain Square was finished, a second grand opening was held in 2012.

When the water playground was upgraded, Water Odyssey installed new ground level jets, a control bollard and manifold system for the splash pad. Clauss Brothers Inc. improved the water play structure with new pumps, tanks, filters and heaters, all state-of-the-art energy efficient models.

Along with being named a Playful USA city, Fountain Square Park was recognized with an Outstanding Facility and Parks Award in 2012 from the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.

The renovation included a 20-foot x 20-foot shelter from ICON Shelter Systems, and bocce ball and bag toss courts, both from GameTime, a maker of playground equipment. These are mainly for multi-generational play, Lemme said.

The splash pad uses the same mechanical and plumbing systems that have been there since 1991, but it now has energy efficient heaters, pumps and filters, among other things. Water Odyssey installed a new combination timer and bollard with touch control, ground level jets and manifold system for the splash pad. Water is sprayed only when guests activate the system, and the jets follow a programmed and computer-controlled sequence.

Clauss Brothers Inc. did the work on the water play structure. It made and replaced the pumps, tanks and filters, heaters with state-of-the-art, energy efficient models. The water for both the splash pad and playground structure are treated and re-circulated.

Park-goers can do plyometrics, also called jump training, as well as pull-ups, dips, abdominal crunches and leg lifts at three HealthBeat fitness stations. This equipment was purchased from Landscape Structures and installed by Elk Grove Parks District staff.

A sensory garden is a welcome alternative for some park-goers, a respite from the more active areas. A combination of native and hybrid plants offers "multi-seasonal interest" to visitors. An interpretive sign helps identify the types of plants and their attributes.

Brusseau Design Group and Tom Lind, RLA, and Innovative Aquatic Design, designed the water fountain and sensory garden. The fountain water is also treated and re-circulated.

"The renovated park balances the uses of the neighborhood and community, and with the bike route Fountain Square connects with six other nearby parks and a school," Lemme said.

"Elk Grove's residents' committee and the Elk Grove Park District's Board of Commissioners worked together to provide a new focal point for the park that will be enjoyed for many years," she added.