SPRINGFIELD: Budzinski Convenes Local Park Districts to Celebrate Grant Funding

SPRINGFIELD, IL — On Monday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) convened local park district leaders from Springfield, Champaign, and Grandview to celebrate the successful award of state funding that her office helped them secure. In recent months, Congresswoman Budzinski’s office has held a series of workshops to assist local organizations and municipalities with identifying and applying for grants – specifically Illinois’ Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program.

“Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding federal funding under the Trump Administration, we’ve had to get creative to ensure our communities receive the resources they need,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “That’s why my team, along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources launched a series of workshops to assist local organizations and municipalities in applying for state funding opportunities. These grants will help upgrade Springfield’s Lake Springfield Center Park, build a sports complex in Grandview, support a new nature center at Champaign’s Homer Lake, and more. We look forward to continuing these workshops and seeing what other resources we can bring home.” 

“This OSLAD grant is a tremendous win for our community. This investment will allow us to breathe new life into Dreamland Park creating a vibrant, modern space where families can gather, children can play, and residents of all ages can enjoy the outdoors for generations to come,” said Derek Harms, Executive Director of the Springfield Park District.

“We appreciate Congresswoman Budzinski’s office for bringing local park districts together with IDNR to discuss the OSLAD program and support future park and open space projects,” said Sarah Sandquist, Executive Director of the Champaign Park District.

OSLAD is a state-financed grant program that provides funding assistance to local government agencies for the acquisition and development of land for public parks and open space. OSLAD grants awarded to Champaign and Sangamon Counties include: 

• Champaign County Forest Preserve District, Homer Lake Nature Center – $600,000 
• Rantoul Park District – $526,500
• Urbana Park District, King Park revitalization – $600,000 
• Village of Grandview, Grandview Sports Complex – $600,000
• City of Springfield, Lake Springfield Center Park – $600,000
• Springfield Park District, Dreamland Park redevelopment – $600,000

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