Local Park Funding Updates

First, some various funding updates for area parks. From the News-Gazette last month:

Virginia Theatre among tourism grant recipients
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has awarded $1.8 million in grants to increase Prairie State tourism — and the Virginia Theatre in Champaign is among the recipients.

The Office of Tourism announced the 17 recipients of two different grants, saying tourism produced more than $3 billion in tax revenue for the state and local communities last year.

One grant, awarded officially to the Champaign Park District/ Virginia Theatre, is for $50,000. It’s to be used for installation of “modern ‘intelligent’ theatrical lighting.”
...
The Tourism Attraction Grant program helps develop or enhance tourism attractions to boost visitation and overnight stays in Illinois. There were 13 recipients sharing $1.4 million. Officials say there were four times as many applications for this grant as there was available funding.

Full blurb available in the eEdition (with digital subscription) here. There was also an update by WCIA on Crystal Lake Park (with video segment here):

Work is underway on Crystal Lake Park Rehabilitation Project.

Developers needed the lake level lowered to allow for work on the new multi-use path.

The Park District is paying for this project with a grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.

Carle Hospital matched the grant for a total of $537,000.

They expect the trail to be completed in July. 

Blurb and video segment available here. The Rehabilitation Project has an informational website here as well. There was also a blurb last week on State funding becoming available to local governments here:

Local governments in Illinois may apply for state grants to acquire or develop space for recreation areas.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that applications will be accepted beginning July 1 for the Open Space Land Acquisition fund and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The OSLAD program provides 50 percent funding for qualified projects by municipalities that can show they have the ability to finance the remainder of the project.

The money comes from a portion of the state’s real estate transfer tax.

That blurb also available from the eEdition here.