Field Center is unique in the Park District being centrally located in Field Park which is immediately adjacent to Mann School on the east and an alley to the west. The current facility is positioned to actively support different athletic fields as well as the playground and splash pad. The location is, however, more difficult to access given the Center’s use as day camp and after school care, where direct handoff of kids from staff to parents is required. But without more direct street access, this transition is a constant operational challenge. There are two viable options to help resolve that:

1. 1. Better utilization of the alley that runs immediately west of the park.
   2. Relocate the facility within the park (cost of changes to existing facilities must occur within the allocated budget).

The attached site plan shows the layout of the existing park. The red line down the center of the overhead view is the property line between the Park District property on the west and the School District’s property on the east. The parking lot above the north ball diamond, for instance, is D97 property and for their use. For the final solution, two base fields and one soccer field must remain within the existing green space of the combined property of the Park District and the School District (as they already bridge the property line in the existing layout).

The Park District welcomes a creative approach to addressing the operational concerns while also preserving as much of the green space, field space, and as many existing trees as possible.

A DWG file of the survey is available upon registration for the competition.