PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced $60 million in grant funding going to local projects around the state, including Peoria.
According to a press release, the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants are being awarded to 118 park projects to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities.
Pritzker said that he couldn’t be prouder that this was the largest round of OSLAD grants in the program’s history.
“The health and wellbeing of Illinoisans sits at the heart of the OSLAD program, and for the first time ever, we’ve been able to provide 100% of funding assistance to qualifying distressed recipients,” Pritzker said.
Locally, the Peoria Park District received $855,000 in grants:
- A $255,000 grant was awarded to acquire 40 acres of land along the Illinois River Bluff to extend the 9.1-mile Illinois River Bluff hiking trail.
- A $600,000 grant was awarded to make changes and improvements at Lakeview Park, including switching an outdoor swimming pool with a splash pad and spray park, playground improvements, and building a public restroom for the park.
The Chillicothe Park District, the City of Eureka and the City of Galesburg all also received grants.
OSLAD is a cost-sharing program that was established in 1986 and is one of the most popular grant programs in Illinois. More information is available here.
