Lilacia Park expansion moves into construction documents

Visitors approaching Lilacia Park from Maple Street now see open ground where the former Helen Plum Library once stood, with a historic coach house from the original Plum estate standing as the most visible structure at the corner of Maple and Park. The Lombard Park District acquired the cleared site earlier this year and is designing how to knit it into the existing gardens.

The transfer of the Maple Street property followed an agreement the library and park district announced in March 2023. As part of that deal, the park district contributed $350,000 toward demolishing the old library building and also purchased library-owned open lots, according to reporting in the Daily Herald. The library had moved to its new building on Main Street in 2023.

Park district executive director Joe McCann told the Herald at the time that the acquisition offered a chance to expand the park, add open space, and create another prominent entrance. He envisioned future work focused on gardens, pathways, and access, while leaving other amenities open. A temporary fence was put up so new grass could establish.

The district’s project page now describes the work as design and development of improvements to Lilacia Park. Staff and partners are working through details so that enhancements preserve the park’s historic character, designed by Jens Jensen, while meeting the needs of residents and visitors. The page notes that Lilacia remains a priority as one of Lombard’s most cherished destinations.

Public input on a concept for the Maple Street property came in summer 2025. The concept focuses on gardens, pathways, communal spaces, and accessibility. The district held open houses in July 2025 at Sunset Knoll Recreation Center. Goals listed on the page include seamlessly knitting the newly acquired property into the garden, preserving the Jens Jensen and Colonel Plum heritage and overall aesthetic, maintaining primarily passive park use, expanding botanical collections, connecting to downtown at the southeast corner, and providing amenities that assist funding.

An update posted after the August 2026 board meeting said the project was nearing the end of design development and moving into construction documentation from September through December 2026. A timeline on the page shows design development in June through August 2026, construction documentation September through December 2026, permitting from November 2026 through February 2027, bidding in January and February 2027, and construction from April through November 2027.

For neighbors, the expansion means more of the garden space that already draws people in May for Lilac Time and that remains open daily the rest of the year. The park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, specializes in lilacs and tulips on its 8.5 acres. The new land offers room for additional plantings and better connections without changing the passive character of the existing grounds.

The district says the project team will share additional updates as the work progresses. Questions can be directed to executive director Joe McCann at 630-953-6016. Construction, if the current schedule holds, would begin in spring 2027.