With the March 17 primary election less than two weeks away, Naperville voters must decide if they want the Naperville Park District to borrow $120 million to build an indoor fitness and aquatic facility and acquire more open space land.
Proposed for the city’s south side, the $119 million Frontier Sports Complex activity center would include three swimming pools, exercise rooms, gymnasiums, and a walking and jogging track.
The pool portion of the project would have an eight-lane, 25-yard lap pool, a warm water therapy pool and an activity pool with a water slide, play features and additional lap lanes. Naperville’s only pool right now is Centennial Beach, which is an outdoor seasonal swimming facility.
“We have heard from residents and program participants for many years (about) interest in additional indoor recreation space, and specifically indoor aquatic space being part of any future indoor space,” Naperville Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said.
Money from the referendum also would pay for two parcels of open land for nature trails — 5.7 acres of wooded property to expand Walnut Ridge Park and 6.5 acres to expand Heritage Woods.
Acquiring them will cost about $5 million, but the district plans to use budget reserves to cover some of the expense so the amount needed will only be $120 million.
If the referendum is approved, a Naperville homeowner with a $500,000 fair market value home would pay about $117 more a year in taxes annually — about $9.78 a month — for a term not to exceed 20 years.
For nearly two years, the park district has made a concerted effort to gather community feedback and understand what Naperville residents want. Officials have also been candid about the capacity challenges at the Fort Hill Activity Center, which has waitlists for more than half of the classes it offers and gym space that is consistently filled, Wilson said.
Initially the district proposed a $135 million bond that would have included such projects as outdoor ice skating rinks and site improvements at a number of parks, but scaled it back after public input showed less interest in those projects and concerns about tax increases, he said.
“We felt that now is the time that we need to go out to the community and ask if there is that interest in supporting the funding for additional indoor recreation space as well as some additional open space to preserve and restore some natural areas,” Wilson said.
If the measure passes, construction on the activity center would likely start in 2027, he said. If the project ends up costing more than expected, park officials will work with the park board to adjust its scale to fit the budget.
If the referendum fails, then it’s back to the drawing board for the park district, Wilson said. They’d likely reach out to residents for feedback on how to proceed, he said.
Naperville Park District was established in 1966 with the passage of a referendum, and it remains the last successful referendum they’ve had, Wilson said. Although a number of them have been on the ballot — the most recent was in spring 1999, when the district sought funding for a Nike Sports Complex recreation center — all have failed.
Supporters of the $120 million bond sale have “expressed excitement about the possibility of additional indoor space in the amenities that are being proposed” as well as the addition of indoor aquatic spaces, Wilson said. The Conservation Foundation, based in Naperville, put out a statement in favor of the measure last month, highlighting the plan to buy land and add nature trails.
“That’s right up our alley and we’d like to see more of that so that’s specifically why we’re hoping people will consider supporting it,” Conservation Foundation CEO Brook McDonald said.
The amount of land left in Naperville that can be preserved is declining, McDonald said, possibly making this referendum one of the last opportunities for the district to secure green space.
However, there are referendum opponents who argue that property taxes are already high and shouldn’t be increased, Wilson said. There also are concerns that the location of the proposed center won’t be easily accessible to the whole community, Wilson said.
In November, Fry Family YMCA officials said the park district should reconsider the referendum because what’s being proposed duplicates things other area facilities are already providing. Specifically, the center would only be about 3,800 feet from the Fry YMCA and 4,100 feet from a new private facility coming to Naperville.
The YMCA also raised concerns about the proposed activity center membership fees and the financial burden the referendum could place on property owners in Naperville.
Since then, YMCA Executive Director Erika Wood has said the YMCA is “not engaging in the election,” but encourages residents to cast an informed vote.
In response to the YMCA’s concerns, Wilson said that research they’ve done indicates a need for both the Y and the center. They’ve spoken to YMCA officials but still believe that moving forward with a referendum is the best action, he said.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
