New park in the future of Elmhurst’s Pick Park neighborhood

By summer 2024, families in Elmhurst’s Pick Park neighborhood will have a new place to play.

The Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners on Dec. 11 approved the construction bid for Pick Park’s development.

Nestled along the Salt Creek Greenway Trail at 151 Monterey Ave., the new park will have features for all ages. These include a playground for 2 to 5 year olds and 5 to 12 year olds, games tables, fitness equipment, a shade shelter and bike repair station.

Because of its distance from other parks, the Pick subdivision neighborhood was identified as a park desert during a service analysis completed in 2016. To address this, the park district acquired 1.01 acres in the neighborhood in 2021 and 2022. A master plan for the park was approved in 2022.

To fund the project, the park district applied for and received a $340,300 OSLAD grant from the state in 2023. The grant will provide funding for half the cost of the planned development. Construction at the park is expected to begin March 11, 2024, and wrap up by June 30.