At lunchtime during the summer, Karen Mergenthaler escapes from her windowless cubicle at Motorola to a serene spot in the middle of suburbia-away from the processed air, artificial lights and clanging phones.
On a recent afternoon, she and two friends from the office were soaking in the sun on a grassy slope overlooking a pond, unwinding to the sounds of splashing ducklings.
This island of green, nestled between a jumble of office buildings, strip malls and traffic-clogged highways in Schaumburg, draws dozens of workers each day.
Such manufactured oases are cropping up throughout the suburbs.
Some, such as Woodfield Lake Office Campus in Schaumburg, stretch several acres, dotted by a “lake” and stainless-steel sculptures. Others, such as the Office Park of Hinsdale, contain outdoor “exercise stations” for chinups and situps.
And many more, such as Copley Park, where Mergenthaler was relaxing, are really little more than a spit of land with a few trees scattered around walking paths.
Of course, these suburban parks are a far cry from Chicago’s Grant Park, with Lake Michigan, its elegant Buckingham Fountain and other attractions that draw hordes of lunchtime workers.
No matter. Suburban workers, who appreciate the outdoor scenery, don’t seem to care.
“It’s very nice getting away from the office and seeing the weeping willows and the ducks,” said Mergenthaler, a computer programmer. “Sometimes I like to walk around, other times I just like to sit.”
Increasingly, developers of corporate complexes are setting aside land for mini-parks. Some developers provide the areas as an amenity for the businesses, while other projects are initiated by municipal officials who are interested in inheriting new open space or recreational land.
Suburban corporate centers, workers say, have become almost sterile settings with central air conditioning, cookie-cutter cubicles and no windows.
Many are virtual fortresses, isolated from the community. Unlike workers in the Loop, those in suburban corporate centers can’t easily escape by foot to restaurants, shops and parks.
So to break the monotony, many workers around noontime head to the mini-parks. They eat there. They chat with their friends. They read books. They power walk, skate or rollerblade. They ride bikes and play volleyball.
Some even go sunbathing.
“I’m taking in the sun and I’m getting some activity instead of doing it only on weekends,” said a shirtless Joe Kerhoff, a parts department worker at a car dealership, while kicking a beanbag at tiny Basswood Park in Schaumburg.
The price tag on such parks can be hefty. But business and community officials say the benefits outweigh the costs.
They benefit workers by keeping them healthy and happy. They benefit developers by drawing corporations to their complexes. And they benefit businesses by making their workers more productive.
“Companies now want an image not associated with urban sprawl,” said Terry Ryan, a landscape architect at Chicago-based Jacobs/Ryan Associates, who has designed mini-parks for corporate centers in Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Buffalo Grove.
“People naturally have biologically sensitive feelings toward plants and water,” she said. “Studies have shown that if you allow workers to walk and smell the roses, they will come back to their desk refreshed and more productive.”
With surging medical costs, businesses say it only makes sense for them to provide opportunities for their employees to live healthier by exercising.
That’s why many select to set up shop in centers, such as the Office Park of Hinsdale, where their workers can use fitness trails and exercise stations.
“People can put their feet in the wrungs and do situps and they can do chinups,” among other activities, said Carol Heerwagen, general manager for the office park that was built along Salt Creek and resembles a college campus.
Heerwagen, saying many businesses decide to locate there in part because of the fitness features, added: “This is a different kind of ambience. People do walk a lot and the businesses often have company picnics on two acres within the park.”
Many municipal officials, bent on preserving some tranquility amid the suburban crush while adding to their recreational treasuries, often suggest mini-parks to developers in exchange for approvals on business centers.
Vernon Hills is set next month to begin developing an 8-acre parcel on the 500-acre Continental business center into a mini-park.
The site, donated at the village’s request by Prentiss Properties, will contain an arboretum and an amphitheater. Called Arbor Theater, the project will cost the village about $1.4 million.
“At lunch hour, we envision we’ll have a band playing-something similar to the Daley Center,” said Craig Malin, assistant to the Vernon Hills’ village manager.
“We’ll have a driving range so people can go over and hit a bucket of balls at lunch,” he said. “And in the evenings and on the weekends, residents can walk over and see a play or concert.”
Hoffman Estates officials were able to get Sears, Roebuck and Co. to donate 12 1/2 acres in its massive Prairie Stone complex for a village green. Though Hoffman Estates controls the site, Sears will pick up the development and maintenance costs, unlike the Vernon Hills project.
The village green, expected to cost more than $1 million, will include native grasses and shrubs, flowers, walking paths and an amphitheater that will seat 1,000.
“In the long run, it’s going to be used for everyone’s mutual enjoyment,” said Dan Hanesworth, who is overseeing the project for Homart, Sears’ development company.
“It gets down to morale and positive attitude employees have toward their work environment. If the workers are happy, they stay longer. This reduces retraining costs for us and makes it a more efficient company.”
Developers of North Creek Business Center in Tinley Park agreed to the village’s request to include 25 acres of open space with benches, a jogging trail, trees and four “lakes” on the 130-acre campus.
“It is in the community’s best interest to have an aesthetically pleasing business park,” said David Dorgan, Tinley Park’s assistant village manager.
The 8 1/2-acre park, lake and 1 1/2-mile jogging trail at the Woodfield Lake Office Campus in Schaumburg have helped keep Jim Prescott satisfied with his computer job, he says.
He revives himself by strolling the path, admiring the swans, wildflowers and sculptures.
“I’m into watching wildlife and nature; it’s a nice change of pace,” Prescott said. “It gives you a visual break as well as a mental break.”
Susan Szeszol, a personnel director who was dining at a nearby picnic table, agreed.
“It’s a great stress reliever,” she said.
