The project will allow the Forest Preserve District to identify and demolish underused structures, allowing crews to focus on maintaining high-priority assets.

Project Need

As part of its core infrastructure, the Forest Preserve District maintains 60 shelters, 87 bridges, 394 gates, 229 buildings, 230 benches, 60 latrines and 80 well systems. It adds to or improves this list annually. Because infrastructure requires continuous inspection, maintenance and repair (and eventually renewal), the Forest Preserve District works to identify assets for decommissioning, those with low use or little effect on visitors, operations or the District’s mission. With headcount at a 25-year low, reducing unneeded assets is one way the District can operate without significantly increasing cost or decreasing standards and structural conditions of its remaining assets. In some cases, it can even create new open spaces.