Politics & Government
Park District, D. 97 to Hold Second Forum on Shared Facilities
The event, on Saturday, Nov. 10, will be at Beye School.
A second informational program on shared administrative facilities for the Park District of Oak Park and Elementary District 97 will be conducted next weekend.
The event will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 10 at Beye School, 230 N. Cuyler Ave. It is open to the public.
A brief presentation will be offered on the findings as well as an opportunity for residents to ask questions and provide feedback.
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The park district and the elementary district are proposing the construction of a new administrative building in the parking lot south of Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The facility will house both districts.
As part of the plan, District 97's maintenance operations would be relocated to the village's public works building on South Boulevard. The park district's maintenance facility would be moved to District 97's warehouse on Madison Street.
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The idea has been controversial. Some have questioned spending the upwards of $10 million for the project while others believe it would be more cost effective for the park district and the elementary system.
One suggestion on sharing administrative space - moving District 97's administrative offices to Oak Park and River Forest High School - would not be feasible because of a lack of space, according to the Wednesday Journal. The district's extra space would be needed to accommodate a growing student population.
The idea was brought up last month by District 200 board member Sharon Patchak-Layman, who thought that sharing building resources would cut costs and improve communication, according to the Journal.
