$50M Forest Preserve Bond Issue Includes Aurora Area Trail Project

AURORA, IL — A project in the Aurora area is included in the $50 million general obligation bond issue the Will County Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners approved June 13.

Forest Preserve District of Will County officials said bond sale proceeds will be used to fund a 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program that will allow the District to preserve more green space for future generations and add access to open areas.

The bond issue will provide $25 million for land preservation, $12 million for critical regional and local trail connections and the creation of new preserve access areas, and $13 million for habitat restoration. Bonds will be repaid over the next 20 years, and their interest rate can't exceed 5.5 percent.

Proceeds from the bond sale will be used for a variety of projects, including a project connecting trails in Aurora, Naperville and Plainfield.

The $3 million Wolf’s Crossing Road Trail Connection is slated for 2026, according to the preserve. The project, happening in conjunction with the City of Aurora, will connect the trail systems managed by the City of Aurora, City of Naperville, Forest Preserve District of Will County, and the Naperville and Plainfield park districts.

The project, for which engineering has been initiated, requires a local match of 20 percent.

The amount of money property owners will pay in 2025 for the Forest Preserve District's portion of their tax bill — around 1.5 percent of the total bill — will not increase as a result of the bond sale, according to the preserve.

The District waited until past bond issues were retired to propose the new bond issue, so the tax rate would not increase.