20 Acres Purchased for Park in Lindenhurst (IL)

Lindenhurst, Ill., 11/17/2005 – The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit conservation organization, announced today that it has purchased 20 acres on Grass Lake Road in Lindenhurst. This land, once threatened by development, will be used to create one of the largest parks in the fastest growing area of Lindenhurst.

Lindenhurst Park District Executive Director Tom Lippert said, “Without TPL’s assistance we would not be able to attain this very valuable land.” With developers actively pursuing this property, TPL stepped in to purchase it for the Park District. TPL’s move gives the district the time it needs to apply for a state land acquisition grant.

The 20-acre property is mostly farmland that includes a wetland and a valuable grove of mature oak trees. The future park will be used for active and passive recreation and contain much-needed soccer fields and trails, as well as an observation deck for the wetland area.

Jeffrey Greenspan, senior project manager for TPL, said, “One of TPL’s goals is to provide recreational opportunities in an area that needs recreational lands. This purchase will provide a park near residential communities for people to walk to.”

The land is directly across the road from the Lake County Forest Preserve’s McDonald Woods. The new park will connect with smaller Lindenhurst parks and the forest preserve.

“This property is a key to connecting existing parks and the forest preserve,” Lippert said. “It will allow us create a greenbelt that will enhance the quality of life for all Lindenhurst residents.”

This purchase is part of TPL’s Parks for People Initiative. This national conservation initiative is ensuring that everyone – in particular, every child – enjoys close-to-home access to parks, playgrounds, and natural areas in cities and suburbs across America.

Since 1972, The Trust For Public Land has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete more than 2,700 land conservation projects in 46 states, protecting more than 2 million acres. TPL specializes in conservation real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law, to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness.

The Trust For Public Land’s other regional accomplishments include the protection of Plum Island near Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, 92 acres of land along the Kishwaukee River in Boone County, 224 acres in Elgin, numerous city parks in Chicago, and the protection of various properties within the Hobart Marsh complex in Northwest Indiana.