FROM THE EDITOR

If you build it, will they approve funding for it?

This is the multi-million dollar question, when you consider the kind of public recreation centers and water parks proposed these days. Voters have warmed to open space referendums (witness as examples in 2000, a majority of voters in Lake County approving $85 million "to acquire and preserve forest preserve lands" and $7.9 million for "open space park purposes" for the Geneva Park District). Bur how have facility referendums fared?

It took the Gurnee Park District three tries to pass its referendum for a $6 million outdoor aquatic center. Ultimately, the third attempt was for a dramatically scaled-back version of the original proposal and an intergovernmental agreement with the village of Gurnee that called for no tax increase for district residents. (See "The Referendum Strategy Game" on page 42 by Carol Sente.)

Recreation centers are more like "town centers," according to Williams Architects in the lead story for this special facilities issue on page 22. For example, at the 130,000-sqare-foot Bartlett (Park District) Community Center, which opened in November of 2000, you can get child care, hold a banquet for 220 people, train in a six-lane competition lap pool, go to the theater, and take advantage of all the latest equipment in the health and fitness club. Now that's something for everyone in this suburian town of 35,000. (Taxpayers voted "yes" to this one in November of 1998.)

Funding remains a big issue, whether it's a facility or open space. See page 37 for IP&R annual "Grants Outlook," in which our good friends from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Division of Grant Administration, share tips for grant applications as well as expanded matrix of grant opportunities available to local units of government.

IDNR's senior grant administrator Mark Yergler says tourism dollars are worth the grant-application effort. See page 41 for specifics on where to go on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs' Web (www.enjoyillinois.com) to find tourism grants, plus other sites to see for grant programs and resources.

ANN M. LONDRIGAN

4 / Illinois Parks and Recreation