Two Hancock County communities to receive $600,000 OSLAD grants for outdoor recreation

ALEDO, Ill. — Five communities in Illinois’ 47th District — two of them in Hancock County — have been awarded $3 million in state grants through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program. 

Dallas City and Nauvoo both will receive $600,000.

Dallas City’s proposed project will add a five-foot wide ADA-accessible walking path to Riverview Park, along with a footbridge to allow the path to encircle the entire park. ADA parking and signage and ADA passing lanes along the path also will be installed.

Nauvoo’s proposed project calls for the removal of an old basketball court that will be replaced by a new basketball/pickleball court. ADA-accessible playground equipment with an ADA sidewalk and lighting will be added, along with the construction of an ADA-accessible family restroom, parking spaces and signage. The installation of a new drinking fountain will include a pet fountain and a pet waste station.

This year, $54.9 million in grants were awarded to 111 projects across Illinois. The OSLAD program, established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1986, is a cost-sharing program between state and local governments to help fund land acquisition and development for outdoor recreation.

“The OSLAD Program has served a tremendous role in connecting underserved communities to the great outdoors and it’s great to see a major investment throughout the district,” State Senator Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) said in a press release. “Whether it is modernizing our parks, or revitalizing an empty space, it’s crucial for small communities to have a place to gather and connect in nature.”