A $600,000 state grant will allow Abingdon to build a splash pad in a city park. The new water feature will be located in Legion Park, the ballpark directly across from Abingdon High School on West Martin Street.
The state money will fully fund the project in Abingdon. In addition to the splash pad, the project will include a Safety Town facility for preschool kids and a native grasslands area.
Nearly $55 million in state grants are being awarded for 111 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday.
The governor ensured funding was set aside for economically distressed communities, resulting in 32 underserved locations receiving $18.7 million in grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program.
Project spearheaded by citizens
Michelle Batson, chairperson of the Abingdon Splash Pad Project committee, tells WGIL, “It was so exciting when we received word yesterday that our grant application had been approved. I felt like we had a good chance, but I was nervous. To be honest, if we wouldn’t have gotten it this time, we would have tried again.”
Batson said she first pitched the idea for project in in the spring of 2022.
“I would take my kids to the splash pad in Galesburg and thought this is something we need in Abingdon,” she said. “I started asking people in the community if they would use a splash pad, and I overwhelmingly, people said they would.
“I took proposal to the city council and they said if we do all the leg work, they would back us.”
Batson said the committee received help through the project from Western Illinois Regional Council, Galesburg Community Foundation, Abingdon Mayor Ed Swearingen, Mark Lee of Klingler & Associates and many members of the community.
“I’m just a regular mom who knew nothing about grants,” Batson said. “But a bunch of moms wanted something like this in the community. Literally, we’re just a bunch of moms who helped make this happen.
“The community involvement in this has been huge.”
The splash pad will be constructed in the area where a pair of existing swings are located. The swings will be relocated to another area of the park.
The Safety Town is an educational facility used to provide preschool age children with an early safety education, allowing children to explore safety concerns in a familiar environment.
Batson said the project will commence once the city receives official paperwork from the state. She said the goal is to start construction this summer and to open in the spring of 2025. The splash pad would be in operation from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
“I think it’s huge for Abingdon,” Batson said. “It shows we have things for kids to do. It’s such a nice activity for kids.”
Abingdon Mayor Ed Swearingen, Battson’s father-in-law, said, “She took off with the idea, formed a committee and they did tons of leg work. That’s how things get done — when private citizens get involved. The Council was very supportive of the project.
“I was confident we would get something from the state, but we lucked out and got more than we thought we would.”
Swearingen added, “Roger Pavey who was with the WIRC in Macomb gave us great advice, and that was to go big, or don’t go at all.”
Galesburg receives similar $500,000 grant
The City of Galesburg this week learned it will receive a $500,000 OSLAD grant for a future project.
Established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1986, OSLAD is a cost-sharing program between state and local governments that helps communities fund land acquisition and development for parks and outdoor recreation projects. It’s become one of the most popular grant programs in Illinois. Since it was established, OSLAD has awarded nearly $585 million for park projects throughout Illinois.
