More than 20 years after its creation, Penny Park will undergo a complete transformation, Ald. Peter Braithwaite (2nd) said.

Braithwaite said the 2014 Evanston budget allotted enough money for the redesign. The renovations are planned for this fall, he said.

“It’s one of the most used parks in Evanston,” Braithwaite said. “It draws from a very large range of people.”

Penny Park, located at the intersection of Lake Street and Ashland Avenue, currently consists of a large children’s playground made entirely out of wood.

Braithwaite said the materials used to construct the park have become outdated. Guidelines put in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the manufacturers of the wooden material called for updates and improvements to the park, he said. 

Braithwaite said plans for Penny Park are still in the “preliminary stages.” Its design will be based on community feedback, like it was when it was built two decades ago. Leathers & Associates, the company who assisted in the first design of Penny Park, will host a series of meetings with the Evanston community to hear its feedback and incorporate those ideas into the final design. The firm will also visit schools and talk to students to collect their thoughts.

Braithwaite said the first meeting to gauge community input will be held at the end of March.

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