Lisle's Indoor Recreation Feasibility Study To Be Presented In November

LISLE, IL — PROS consulting will present its findings to the Lisle Park District's Indoor Recreation Study at a special board meeting on Nov. 6.

The park district launched the indoor recreation feasibility study in February after a survey was conducted as part of the park district's master plan in 2023. Among the priorities outlined by residents were pickleball courts and an indoor walking track.

Per the master plan, 30 percent of survey respondents expressed that they would support their tax dollars being used to help fund more indoor recreation options. Overall, 60 percent of participants said they would be "very supportive" of initiatives for new or expanded indoor recreation facilities in Lisle.

PROS consulting was brought on to conduct the feasibility study. At the Aug. 21 park district board meeting, the firm shared its study of public engagement and shared the project's status.

Per park district documents, more than 1,500 residents "provided active engagements with the feasibility study project." Some of the "main trends" residents expressed in their feedback included a desire for an indoor swimming pool, an indoor gym with a walking track, indoor playgrounds and fine arts programming.

Overall, data showed that 84 percent of residents surveyed were "somewhat supportive or very supportive" of the construction of a new space for indoor recreation.

Data also showed that residents would be more likely "to use such facilities on a weekly basis, with a large portion of residents also indicating that they would prefer to have a monthly pass system in place for any new space usage," park district documents show.

Residents also expressed that they would like indoor recreation spaces to be appropriate for "multigenerational" and "multifunctional" use.

PROS next steps were to present more data, along with opportunities for funding and partnership and a building program. These recommendations are set to be presented to the park district as part of PROS Counsulting's presentation at a Nov. 6 meeting.

At the Sept. 18 park district meeting, board president Kari Altpeter said next steps include determining how much residents would be willing to spend for indoor recreation and "what are they really looking for." This would help determine "where do we go from here with the data we have, Altpeter said.

Resident Teri Tapella said, "I think this is where we're going to get the real brunt of the conversation. It's one thing to have this pie-in-the-sky idea. Of course everyone wants what they can get."