An illustration shows a planned new Wagner Community Center in Elmhurst.
Courtesy of Dewberry

The Elmhurst Park District will ask voters in November to approve an $89.95 million funding plan for a new Wagner Community Center, a bandshell in Wilder Park and other outdoor amenities.

It is the first time in more than half a century that the park district has put a referendum question on the ballot.

Parks officials are asking voters for permission to issue bonds to replace the community center, build the bandshell, convert a grassy area in Berens Park to an artificial turf field and install heated, permanent restrooms in Wilder Park, Crestview Park, Eldridge Park and along Prairie Path.

If the proposal is approved by voters, the owner of a home valued at $500,000 – the median value in Elmhurst – would have to pay about $317 in additional property taxes to the park district each year.

The ballot question is the culmination of the Elevate Elmhurst Parks initiative, a planning process that included surveys, open houses and discussion groups. Executive Director Jim Rogers said one key finding was no real surprise: “There are many unmet needs for recreational programs in this community.”

“Our plan showed that there are 5,600 people on waiting lists in 2022 alone. So, first of all, we don’t have enough space,” Rogers said.

The Wagner Community Center was originally an elementary school. Although the district has “used it well for a number of years, there are significant limitations” in terms of accessibility, safety and efficiency, Rogers said.

“There is a valid perception that most of what is currently happening at the Wagner Center are programs for children because of its limited size,” he said.

In contrast, the new community center would be four times larger than the existing Wagner building at approximately 3,000 square meters and would offer year-round recreational activities for all ages.

The proposed $84.95 million facility would house a free, elevated three-lane running track, a gym for pickleball, basketball, volleyball and other sports, an artificial turf field and larger areas for gymnastics and dance. It would also include dedicated areas for early childhood and preschool and multi-use spaces for general programs and community events.

“In Elmhurst, we’ve had successful school referendums that have improved schools throughout the community. The library was put on a referendum about 20 years ago, and that facility is still very, very valued and an attractive part of that community,” Rogers said. “So we really believe that the community wants to see that the park district’s facilities and parks are really up to that standard as well.”

The bandshell would normally be located on the lawn east of the Wilder mansion, an area that has long hosted concerts and film screenings in the neighborhood.

“The idea behind this, however, is to create something more permanent that we think is more in line with what the community wants to see in the park district and in particular in Wilder Park,” Rogers said.

The district will provide information about the referendum during “Park Palooza,” an end-of-summer concert in Berens Park on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m.

The district was last returned to voters by referendum in 1971.

“Our residents have been an integral part of this planning process from the beginning, sharing their vision during the Elevate Elmhurst planning project, providing feedback on projects at several open houses, and most recently answering questions on a voter survey,” said Kevin Graf, president of the park board, in a statement. “We are excited to give the community the opportunity to help determine the future of the park district.”