Hunter Prairie Park Redevelopment Moves to Next Phase as Demolition Finishes

Article Summary: The Frankfort Square Park District’s redevelopment of Hunter Prairie Park is progressing, with the demolition phase now complete and work beginning on grading, excavation, and the layout for new amenities like walkways and tennis courts.

Hunter Prairie Park Redevelopment Key Points:

• The demolition and removal stage of the park redevelopment project is nearly finished.

• The next phase includes layout, excavation, and grading for new features.

• Priorities include installing a new walkway and the base for new tennis courts.

• The project contractor is taking care to preserve existing trees identified by neighboring residents.

The Frankfort Square Park District Board of Commissioners received a progress report on Thursday, July 17, 2025, detailing significant advancements in the redevelopment of Hunter Prairie Park. Executive Director Audrey Marcquenski confirmed that the project is nearing the end of its demolition phase and is ready to move into excavation and grading.

During her report, Marcquenski displayed photographs showing the current state of the construction site. The old tennis courts and playground have been completely removed, clearing the way for the new layout. The next steps will focus on installing a new walkway between the community gardens and the site of the new tennis courts. Pouring the tennis court base is also a priority, as the material needs time to properly cure before final coloring and finishing can occur.

Marcquenski also noted that the contractor, Innovation Landscaping, has been working carefully with residents of the surrounding neighborhood. Trees that neighbors identified as important have been cordoned off to ensure they are not disturbed during the ongoing construction.

The project will also expand one of the district’s popular offerings. According to the executive director’s report, residents will be pleased to learn that additional community gardening opportunities will be available at the redeveloped Hunter Prairie Park. This comes as the district addresses high demand and recent issues at the Community Park gardens, where staff recently had to change an access code to prevent non-participants from using plots assigned to other gardeners.

The park district also continues to work on improving accessibility. A separate initiative mentioned in the director’s report involves staff working with the district’s website contractor to review and implement new ADA Accessibility Rules. The district aims to make improvements compliant with the new regulations well in advance of the local government deadline of April 26, 2027.