The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District invites the community to a meeting on Thursday, June 27, to review plans and offer input on a redesign of the playground area at Irwin Park in Homewood.

The meeting, scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., will be at the Irwin Center, 18120 Highland Ave. If the weather is nice, the meeting could be held outdoors under a tent at Irwin Park.

The plan is to update the play equipment, offer an outdoor exercise area, a shade area, activities for seniors, benches, planters and beautification areas. 

Parks Executive Director Doug Boehm said any part of the plan can be changed. He hopes the work will also take care of some drainage issues at the park, which is on the west end of Irwin Park bordering downtown Homewood. The play equipment hasn’t been updated since 1986, he said.

The park district is working with Upland Design Ltd. on this project. The firm offered three options, but the park board chose the most expensive option because it offered the most change. 

The board is hoping to win an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to cover half of the nearly $1 million cost.

The park district was awarded an OSLAD grant when it updated and redesigned the Homewood Estates Park.