The Oak Lawn Park District is excited to invite the community to the official Open House & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the grand opening of the Memorial Activity Center. The open house is scheduled Monday, July 14, from 2:00-3:00 pm, with the ribbon cutting taking place at 2:30 pm. Guests are encouraged to explore the facility, meet staff, and learn more about programs.
Located at 5725 W. 102nd St., the Memorial Activity Center was renovated in partnership with the Village of Oak Lawn to host senior programming, which started June 30. Current programs include bridge, pinochle, movies, fitness classes, and games. The full schedule can be found on the Village of Oak Lawn’s website.
Formerly used as the bathhouse for Memorial Pool, the building had been largely unused since the pool’s closure, serving primarily as storage. It has now been transformed into a bright space that features two large multi-purpose rooms with TV’s, a commercial-grade kitchen, lobby, and restrooms.
“This project has been a long time coming,” said Tom Hartwig, executive director. “We listened to the feedback from the community about wanting a dedicated space for senior programming, and we’re proud to see that happen, thanks in part to the Village of Oak Lawn partnership and support.”
This project was made possible thanks to the $2.1 million grant the Oak Lawn Park District was awarded from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act, or “PARC,” grant program.
Securing the grant wouldn’t have been possible without the support of local elected officials, such as Senator Bill Cunningham and former State Rep. Kelly Burke.
“Projects like these don’t come without a cost,” said Hartwig. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support from our elected officials, both at the state and local levels, along with the Illinois Association of Park District’s, and the State of Illinois. They played a huge role in bringing this project to life.”
The PARC grant program, which is part of Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital improvement program, funded a total of $28 million in projects to local governments last year. These projects are to further public recreational opportunities throughout their communities whether that is renovating existing buildings or constructing a new community center. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administers the program.
