Prince Pond Improvement Project
Mon September 28, 2020
The Downers Grove Park District would like to make you aware of some significant work that will be taking place at Prince Pond beginning later this year.
From time to time, as part of routine pond maintenance, small bodies of water like Prince Pond must be dredged to remove sediment that accumulates on the pond bottom. The Park District has worked closely with the Village of Downers Grove to manage Prince Pond’s use as a recreational amenity, as well as a Village stormwater detention facility. At this time, it has been established that Prince Pond is in need of dredging to restore the pond’s original depth and improve its overall health.
As a result, the Park District is currently making preparations for the pond to be dredged this winter. The scope of the project includes reconstruction of the flagstone walkway along the east edge of the pond, which has settled and tilted over time. This work will consist of stabilizing the shoreline with additional boulders, and re-setting the flagstone walkway to create a more level surface.
In addition to the dredging and shoreline work, the Park District is planning walkway improvements that will provide better wheelchair access to the brick patio at the north end of the pond. The sidewalk that leads from East Parkway Drive down to the patio will be replaced with new ramps with more gradual slopes for safer wheelchair access. The brick patio will also be reconstructed to create a level surface, and a safety railing will be added along the pond edge of the patio.
The Prince Pond Dredging & Park Improvements project is currently planned to begin on or after November 30th, and is anticipated to take approximately 12 weeks. During this time, the park will be closed and the pond will be drained. The sediment will be pushed into a pile near the existing concrete boat launch and loaded into dump trucks to be hauled away. Since these trucks will need to pull up close to the pond, the project will require half of Parkway Drive to be closed. The east half of Parkway Drive will remain open for one-way traffic (from south to north), in order to ensure access to all residential driveways throughout the project.
The winter season has been targeted for this project in an attempt to lessen the impact on Park neighbors and users; however, due to the park being closed for the project, the Park District does not anticipate the pond will be available for ice skating this winter.
We are excited to be moving ahead with these much-needed improvements, and look forward to restoring Prince Pond to its original condition. If you have any questions regarding this project, please feel free to contact me at 630-960-5451 or by email at paulfyle@dgparks.org.
