Firemen’s Park Nears Finish Line After Delays; August Opening Targeted

After months of anticipation and unforeseen challenges, the major renovation of Firemen’s Park is scheduled for substantial completion by August 11, with a final completion date of August 22, project leaders announced at the Monee Village Board meeting Wednesday.

Engineers and contractors detailed a series of setbacks that have delayed the park’s opening, primarily citing unmarked underground utilities and significant backlogs at ComEd.

“Everyone’s anxious to have Firemen’s Park open and ready and be operational, and we’re getting close,” said Matt Bergher, an engineer with Farnsworth Group, who presented alongside Justin Goslin, president of Piggush Simoneau, Inc. (PSI), and site manager Jason Phillips.

The project team described the park’s subsurface as a maze of unexpected obstacles. “Some of the things have been underground utility lines that are just not marked,” Bergher explained. “And also ones that were not known to exist underneath there just from years and years of building out Firemen’s Park.”

Crews discovered unmarked sanitary laterals, fiber optic lines, and electrical wires that were not in conduit, posing a safety hazard. They also unearthed improperly connected drain pipes and a water main buried less than four feet deep, far shallower than the typical five-foot requirement, which forced a halt to some utility work to ensure future designs met state codes.

“Basically we’ll have all the concrete done minus where that transformer is, middle of next week,” Phillips said. “And then we’ll have to wait for that transformer to be decommissioned to finish that the concrete in that area.”

The most significant external hurdle has been with ComEd. Project leaders said the utility company’s layoffs last year after a failed rate hike request created a massive backlog of work orders.

“We’ve been told hopefully we would have service in advance, but that has delayed some things,” Bergher said. “We’re still waiting on them. They were supposed to be here last Friday. They put us off yet again and we still do not have an answer.”

This delay has forced the construction team to work out of sequence, completing available tasks while waiting for permanent power to be installed. Goslin noted that contingency plans are being developed to use temporary power to irrigate the new fields if necessary.

Another challenge emerged mid-construction when the Monee Historical Society raised concerns about the accessibility of the adjacent Creamery building. The existing mechanical lift has been unreliable, and a request was made to add a permanent ADA-compliant ramp. Because concrete walkways were already poured, adding a concrete ramp now would require costly demolition or concrete pumping.

“We probably had $60-70,000 in just getting the concrete up into the area,” Goslin said. PSI is now exploring more cost-effective alternatives, including a pre-fabricated galvanized steel ramp system similar to those used in stadiums, which would require less site disruption.

Despite the delays, visible progress is being made daily. The storage building and volleyball courts are largely finished, needing only nets. Most concrete work for walkways and paths is expected to be complete within a week. At the baseball field, fences for the batting cages are up, the infield is graded, and backstops are in place. The football fields are graded, with final restoration and seeding planned as one of the last steps to avoid damage from remaining construction traffic.

Work on the interiors of the restroom and concession buildings is also advancing, with finishing elements like wall coverings, flooring, and fixtures being installed. Substantial completion is expected by August 11, which means the park will be functional and usable. The following two weeks, until the August 22 final completion date, will be dedicated to addressing a “punch list” of minor finishing touches.

During the presentation, Trustee Chuck Rakis questioned the fit and finish on the concession stand, pointing to photos showing rust on the bottom of metal panels. Goslin acknowledged the issue, explaining that a drip edge was causing water to flow back under the panels. “Yes, we are addressing that issue,” he assured the board. “We might be pulling that metal up and readjusting that lower flashing.”