Naperville Park District is accepting bids for a major overhaul of Nike Sports Complex that would bring synthetic turf, a splash pad, new playground equipment and a picnic shelter to the north Naperville facility.

Sealed bids are due by 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Park District Administration Building, 320 W. Jackson Ave., according to a bid advertisement the district posted.

Bids will be opened publicly and read aloud. The district expects to award a contract in December.

The full scope of work covers synthetic turf, playground equipment, splash pad equipment, a picnic shelter, a shade sail, asphalt and concrete paving, wood fencing, electrical work, underdrainage, landscaping and lawn restoration.

Upland Design Ltd. is the project's design firm.

$600K state grant backs the project

The improvements are funded in part by a $600,000 state grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program, as the Chicago Tribune first reported in January.

An IDNR news release confirmed the $600,000 award as part of $36 million distributed to 67 local park projects statewide.

The total project was estimated at $4.25 million in January, the Tribune reported.

The current bid does not list a budget figure, so it is unclear whether that estimate still holds.

In January coverage, Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said the OSLAD grant would help with "fast-tracking and bringing improvements to the Nike Sports Complex."

The Tribune also reported that Naperville Little League Baseball donated $200,000 toward replacing grass ball fields with synthetic turf.

Planned upgrades described at the time included synthetic turf on three ball fields, playground renovations, a challenge course area, a 10-foot-wide asphalt loop trail and a shelter overlooking the cricket field.

The bid's scope adds splash pad equipment, which was not part of the Tribune's January description.

How the project got here

The Nike complex improvements were originally part of the Park District's proposed $135 million bond referendum.

They were removed after residents expressed less interest in changes to that facility compared to other projects, the Tribune reported.

The district instead pursued a separate $120 million bond sale for a new Frontier Sports Complex activity center and trail expansion.

Construction was expected to begin late in 2026 and continue into 2028, according to the January reporting.

Whether that timeline holds after a December contract award has not been confirmed.

A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting for contractors is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Park Support Building, 1520 N. Mill St., inside Nike Sports Complex.

Bid documents are available through Accurate Repro, Inc.'s Planroom at (630) 428-4433.