At Irving, A Schoolyard Awaits

The rear lot behind remains largely the same as it ever was, 80,000 square feet of pavement — susceptible to radiant heat and slippery ice, seepage and scraped knees.

A volunteer effort seven years in the making aims to change all of that. The organizers behind the Irving Schoolyard Project envision an outdoor wonderland for use by the school's growing student population, as well as the rest of the Oak Park community.

After years of surveys, workshops and public forums, the project's 60-plus volunteers are looking for financial backing to finally get it done. But the ambitious venture carries a hefty price tag — they estimate $3.2 million.

A Concept Takes Shape

The volunteer group hired Chicago-based Site Design Group, Ltd. to map out the renovations, which would be carried out in three phases.

The first phase completely refigures the school's north and northwest ends. Plans call for the replacement of the massive blacktop surface with a new playground made from a rubberized surface and creation of custom-built play equipment. Abutting the playground area, just north of the building, would be a fenced-in 21-space parking lot, built with permeable pavers and ringed by an “exploration trail.”

Together, the first phase is the most expensive part of the entire proposed project, with the bulk of the cost going toward construction of the playground and creation of the new parking lot.

The second phase eliminates the school’s current parking lot, replacing it with a sprawling open field, a pair of half-court basketball courts and four-square boxes, and an outdoor reading garden bordered by birdhouses and plant life. Those features would be placed atop a sophisticated drainage system geared toward water conservation.

Those outdoor elements are crucial to the group's fundraising effort, as most of the grants they're pursuing require some sort of element of environmental conservation.

At the proposed new schoolyard, that means the turf playing field and playground will collect rainwater, either for evaporation back into the atmosphere or for distribution to a stream running toward the front of the school at 1125 S. Cuyler Ave.

Armed with a "realistic understanding of the civil engineering that would take place under the surface," project volunteers say the overhaul and would "take it to the level of something wonderful for the kids and for the community."

"There's no way around it, even the most bare-bones design that we do is going to be a big project because it’s a very big amount of space," said Tom Bassett-Dilley, an Irving parent and architect, at a recent public forum.

The final phase would overhaul the school's three Cuyler Avenue entrances. In short, here's the vision: The school’s main entryway would be replaced with a more open approach, complete with more gathering space for parents, an outdoor classroom for students and a wetland area.

Finding Funding

Although the Irving parents have pursued their own design plans and cost estimates, the school board is expected to hire in February its own design firm to create plans for renovations at all 10 District 97 schoolyards.

(At some point, the design concepts from each camp could merge for the Irving project, school officials said.)

Regardless of what design firm lands the contract, some of the project's total cost will come from taxpayers. That's part of District 97's $2.5 million earmark from the 2011 referendum for schoolyard improvements at each of its schools. Those funds will be doled out over the next several years.

The district's contribution to the Irving project is estimated at $250,000, but that amount could grow based on the needs of each facility, school officials said.

Though the revamped schoolyard would be primarily used for Irving students, organizers say it will be open to the rest of Oak Park, which raises questions about other public funding. Namely, what role should the play in its creation?

So far, the answer is none.

Jassen Strokosch, an Irving parent and longtime project volunteer, said the park district has "declined to become a major partner in the project," adding that the volunteers and park district officials "continue to discuss" a partnership.

Park District executive director Gary Balling said he's "heard them out," and that park district officials will continue to listen to the group's plans at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.

A plea for funding, Balling said, "needs to come from beyond a parents group...Someone from the school district needs to communicate that they're behind the group and that they'll be funding them at some level...we look forward to hearing from them," he said.

Balling said another setback to possible park district funding would be operation hours.

"One of the biggest struggles is that when school is in session, [the field and playground] would be closed to the public. We'd have to be able to communicate that to the community consistently," he said.

A Call for Help

So far, volunteers have been the main source of fundraising.

Through bake sales, yard sales, candy drives and a , Irving parents have raised enough cash for the creation of , the atop the school roof and half of the cost to have concepts designed and sketched.

"Volunteers have gotten us this far," said Irving parent Barb Metric at the group's forum. "But we need to expand our volunteer pool. We need new talent. We need new energy and increased involvement to make it happen."

The Irving Schoolyard Project has created a project website, which contains conceptual renderings, cost estimates and an archived video of the group's Jan. 24 public presentation. They're also seeking more volunteers.