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DeKalb Park District
DeKalb was back on the grow. New housing stock was created with subdivision development, and with cooperation from the City of DeKalb in the planning process, new neighborhood parks were donated to the park district by developers. By 1992, 24 parks existed within the district and by 1998, 40 parks totalling over 700 acres.
Many of these new parks had been acquired as conservation areas in order to preserve floodplain lands and wildlife habitat. Other parks were active recreation facilities designed to serve all types of recreational needs. Combining this system of parks with the Kishwaukee Kiwanis pathway system totalling 8 miles in length by 2000, connecting DeKalb with Sycamore and the Great Western Trail to the east, the DeKalb Park District at the turn of the century had come a long way in its first 65 years.
Other facility improvements of the 1990's included creation of the Hopkins Park Community Center in 1989, which was a 10,000 square foot social and community center addition to the Hopkins Swimming Pool Facility. Hopkins Community Center was designed to serve social recreational needs, such as dance and fitness classes, but also was designed to provide a setting for wedding receptions and meetings.
Similar to the manner in which the existing Hopkins Pool was expanded to a community center, in 1992 Haish Gymnasium was expanded. Acquired from the school district in the mid 1970's in exchange for the park land in order to build a new neighborhood school, Haish Gym was all that was salvagable from the old Haish School. Operated as a stand alone gymnasium for 15 years, a second gymnasium was added to the facility in order to accommodate the huge growth in indoor winter athletic programs.
The most ambitious recent venture by the park district has been the construction of the new indoor Sports and Recreation Center adjacent to DeKalb High School. This facility, was opened in January 2000 and contains two additional gymnasiums, locker rooms, activity and dance rooms, as well as a full acre of open space under a 45 foot roof. This acre of open space will be utilized as two parallel soccer fields, a football field or an indoor softball/baseball field, depending on how it is set up. This venture demonstrates how after 65 years of existence, the DeKalb Park District has taken its place as one of the premier park districts in Illinois.
Many of these new parks had been acquired as conservation areas in order to preserve floodplain lands and wildlife habitat. Other parks were active recreation facilities designed to serve all types of recreational needs. Combining this system of parks with the Kishwaukee Kiwanis pathway system totalling 8 miles in length by 2000, connecting DeKalb with Sycamore and the Great Western Trail to the east, the DeKalb Park District at the turn of the century had come a long way in its first 65 years.
Other facility improvements of the 1990's included creation of the Hopkins Park Community Center in 1989, which was a 10,000 square foot social and community center addition to the Hopkins Swimming Pool Facility. Hopkins Community Center was designed to serve social recreational needs, such as dance and fitness classes, but also was designed to provide a setting for wedding receptions and meetings.
Similar to the manner in which the existing Hopkins Pool was expanded to a community center, in 1992 Haish Gymnasium was expanded. Acquired from the school district in the mid 1970's in exchange for the park land in order to build a new neighborhood school, Haish Gym was all that was salvagable from the old Haish School. Operated as a stand alone gymnasium for 15 years, a second gymnasium was added to the facility in order to accommodate the huge growth in indoor winter athletic programs.
The most ambitious recent venture by the park district has been the construction of the new indoor Sports and Recreation Center adjacent to DeKalb High School. This facility, was opened in January 2000 and contains two additional gymnasiums, locker rooms, activity and dance rooms, as well as a full acre of open space under a 45 foot roof. This acre of open space will be utilized as two parallel soccer fields, a football field or an indoor softball/baseball field, depending on how it is set up. This venture demonstrates how after 65 years of existence, the DeKalb Park District has taken its place as one of the premier park districts in Illinois.