Prairie State Wire

Jeanne Ives recently commented on grants for local park projects, as announced in a December 19 post on X.

"We need to stop using state taxes to pay for local parks," said Ives, Founder. "$55m in total w/$600k going to wealthy places like Oak Park, Oak Lawn, LaGrange, Orlando Park and others. Another reason the budget is up 32% in 5 years under Pritzker."

In her post, Ives shared a link to a Chicago Tribune article discussing the grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program. The grants mentioned by Ives include $600,000 for both the Village of Orland Park and the Oak Lawn Park District. According to the article, the Oak Lawn Park District plans to use its grant to renovate Lake Shore Park, which currently features two playgrounds, a half basketball court, the Story Walk, and tennis courts with pickleball lines. Planned renovations include a pollinator-themed playground, rock climbing boulders, and a zip line.

Screen shot of Jeanne Ives' Dec. 19 post on X | X

Governor JB Pritzker's office announced this latest round of grant awards on December 16. A total of 100 local park projects will benefit from these grants, with twenty-nine directed towards economically underserved communities to enhance recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. "Since I became Governor," Pritzker said in his news release, "it's been my mission to build stronger, healthier communities across Illinois. Through the OSLAD program, we're bringing that vision to life by awarding over $55.2 million to local park projects, expanding green spaces and creating new recreational opportunities for all."

The OSLAD program was established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1986 as a cost-sharing initiative between state and local governments. It provides up to 50 percent of funds for project costs or 90 percent for underserved communities. Grants can reach up to $1,725,000 for property acquisition while renovation and development projects are capped at $600,000.

Jeanne Ives is a former Illinois State Representative who served six years representing House District 42. She ran for governor in 2018 and sought election to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020. She resides in Wheaton, IL.