Work began Monday on the upgraded playground near Blythe Park Elementary School with placement of two types of fencing to deter youngsters, and others, from accessing the area while the job is in progress.

The design from DLA Architects was approved by the Riverside School District 96 board of education last October and by the village of Riverside the subsequent month.  The project is being executed by Shorewood-based D&J Landscaping. The design expands the previous park’s footprint and will accommodate up to 135 children ages 2-5 and 5-12. 

At its Jan. 21 meeting, the school board approved D&J’s bid of $386,785 for the project. 

“This project is a little unique, because the property is owned by the village, but the work is being done by the school district,” said Steve Wilder, new district director of finance and operations. “That is a great example of how two entities are working together. It’s also a great example of a project that is going to benefit the entire community.”

Wilder and Zachary Pros, district director of facilities and maintenance, agreed that the project should be completed by Aug. 17, assuming the weather cooperates.

“The goal was to get it done over the summer,” Wilder said. “We’ve got a great relationship with the village, and the goal was to get it done before the school year starts.”

The 2026-27 school year will begin Aug. 27, and both Wilder and Pros are confident that the job will be done by then due to D&J’s experience. Up to seven workers will be on site at a given time to complete the project.

“The winning bid for this work was won by a company that specializes in landscaping and this type of project,” Wilder said. “It doesn’t seem like a huge window, but they factor in the weather.”

Hauser projects also underway: Over at Hauser Junior High, a project to install approximately 200 new windows will start Friday. Krull Window Company of Oak Lawn has the contract and plans project completion by the start of next school year.

“They are energy efficient (windows),” Kros said. “They are not double paned like the old ones.”

The single-pane windows could be opened, he said, though there is air conditioning at the school. Kros said Krull’s plan is to replace six windows per day.

A tuck-pointing project that started last summer is also in progress at Hauser.