Plans for what could be one of the biggest outdoor sports complexes in northern Illinois were revealed Friday in Waukegan.
The new sports facility is proposed for the site of the shuttered Johns Manville property.
Waukegan Park District officials said the multisport complex targeted for 100 acres along Lake Michigan would be big enough to host traveling sports teams from throughout Lake County and the Chicago region.
It would contain up to 16 soccer fields, five baseball and softball fields, numerous tennis courts and a skate park.
'What we envision is a sports complex that will be one of the best in the area,' said Greg Petry, executive director.
No price tag has been attached to the complex yet.
'Development figures could be between $3.5 million to $5 million, but that's just an estimate,' Petry said. 'We haven't really discussed land acquisition cost or development cost yet.'
The park district is in negotiations with Johns Manville for 100 acres of its property at the northeast corner of the Greenwood Avenue and Amstutz Expressway intersection.
'The district has looked at every available parcel of land and this is the last best site,' said Bill Biang, Waukegan Park District board president. 'We have not reached an agreement yet, but we are excited over the potential.'
For decades Johns Manville manufactured asbestos at the site. And due to environmental concerns, Petry said the district wants to run a health and assessment analysis to verify the site is indeed safe for recreational use.
'We will not proceed with plans until convinced of its safety,' he said.
The assessment will be taken by an independent expert, as well as the Lake County Health Department.
Additionally, a Johns Manville landfill, adjacent to the parcel, was closed under the U.S. Superfund process in 1991 and is now used to hold contaminated sediment. At least one resident at Friday's press conference expressed concerns about the safety of the land.
'We cannot be sure that our children will not come down with cancer,' said Joan Pfau Callahan of Waukegan. 'The complex should not be anywhere near the Superfund site.'
Petry said the sports complex would be financed in the park district budget through a previous referendum's general obligation bonds.
With a growing population and a lack of sports arenas, park district officials said there is a critical need for the facility.
'This complex will resolve many issues like parking congestion and the overuse of fields,' park district commissioner Wayne Motley said. 'We currently have 158 teams in Waukegan and only six fields. Now we can provide a sports complex for all.'
