Dilapidated buildings on a 6.5-acre parcel next to Heritage Woods in north Naperville will come down this summer after the Park District board approved a $492,000 environmental services contract to clear the way for new public open space.

The board voted June 11 to award the work to Geologic Associates Inc., the same firm that handled the district's Sportsman's Park remediation. The scope covers environmental surveys, waste abatement, demolition of dwellings and sheds, underground storage tank closure, utility removal, and site restoration, according to a board memo authored by Eric Shutes, director of planning.

The contract is structured as a change order to an existing agreement. The district paid Geologic Associates $21,810 last fall for due diligence work, including a Phase 1 environmental assessment and demolition cost estimates, while the bond referendum was still being developed.

The new award brings the total contract to $513,810.

The Heritage Woods expansion is one of two land acquisitions tied to the $120 million bond referendum voters approved on Tuesday, March 17. The measure passed with unofficial early returns of 5,662 yes to 4,384 no. It was the district's first successful referendum since 1966.

The expansion parcel sits adjacent to the existing Heritage Woods park at 1067 W. 5th Ave., which features dirt and mulch loop trails through a wooded natural area. The district plans to fold the new acreage into that trail system and preserve it as conservation land and public open space.

Executive Director Brad Wilson said after the referendum passed that the district heard from the community "for quite some time about their interest in more indoor recreation space and preserving open space."

The board memo states work will begin after the district closes on the property this summer, with a target of opening the expanded site to the public in 2027. A specific closing date has not been announced.

The land acquisition cost, approximately $5 million combined for the Heritage Woods parcel and a separate 5.7-acre parcel near Walnut Ridge Park, comes from district budget reserves rather than the bond proceeds. The bond funds are earmarked for the new Frontier Sports Complex activity center on Naperville's south side.

For homeowners, the referendum adds roughly $117 per year in property taxes on a home valued at $500,000, starting in 2027 and lasting up to 20 years.