Location
Northbrook Community Center (formerly Leisure Center)
Address
3323 Walters Avenue, Northbrook IL 60062
Project Status
Construction
Planning • 100% Complete
Construction • 65% Complete
Project Updates
August 4, 2025
The Leisure Center is now closed for scheduled renovations. Construction management firm Bulley & Andrews will be taking over the facility on Monday, August 18 to start construction. Programs and staff members have been moved to temporary locations at Village Green Center, Techny Prairie Activity Center and Northbrook Sports Center. For more information about program changes, see the Autumn Program Guide.
July 27, 2025
The Leisure Center will be closed for renovations to modernize and enhance the facility beginning August 2, 2025. The construction management team will be led by Bulley & Andrews. Below are featured renderings from Wight & Company of some of the new spaces the Northbrook community will be able to enjoy in 2026.
May 29, 2025
The Leisure Center is a vibrant Northbrook Park District facility offering a variety of programs for all ages. The building was originally an elementary school in the 1960s and became a Park District facility in the 1980s. A renovation project is scheduled to begin in August to modernize and enhance this important community resource.
Facility Name (Voting Open Through June 11)
As part of the renovation project, the Northbrook Park District solicited community input in May regarding the facility name. Over 500 surveys were submitted.
Based on this community input, the Park District Board of Commissioners voted at the May 27, 2025 Regular Board Meeting to rename this facility as part of the renovation project, authorizing staff to present two names for community consideration and public input. Voting closed Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 11:59pm
Programs at this Facility
Home to Sunshine Preschool, Northbrook Theatre and the Senior Center, the Leisure Center offers a wide variety of programming opportunities. This renovation will allow the Northbrook Park District to expand and enhance these offerings which include:
General Recreation
- Sunshine Preschool
- Early childhood programs
- Youth programs
- Summer camps
- Sports classes
- Cooking classes
Senior Center
- Drop-in programs
- Social events
- Health and wellness
- Presentations
- Pickleball
- Trips
Visual Arts
- Ceramics classes
- Art classes
Performing Arts
- Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences
- Northbrook Theatre Youth Company
- Community Theatre
- Dance programs
- Acting programs
- Music programs
- Private lessons
- Summer theatre workshops
May 1, 2025
The Northbrook Park District Board of Commissioners has given staff direction to proceed with plans for an exciting $12.1 million renovation of the Leisure Center located at 3323 Walters Avenue, Northbrook. The Park District was awarded a $2.8 million grant for this project. The main goals of the renovation are to create a facility that is Welcoming, Impactful and Functional. This project is currently scheduled to begin in fall 2025.
Exterior Renovations
- New welcoming main entrance
- Building façade and window improvements
- Updated early childhood entrance
- Landscaping improvements
- New traffic flow and site signage
Interior Renovations
- Enhanced lobby and reception area
- Renovations to the Little Theatre, demonstration kitchen and restrooms
- Expanded hallways and seating
- Updates to multi-purpose rooms, studios, gymnasium, art rooms and lower level dressing rooms
As an element of the upcoming renovation, Northbrook Park District is evaluating the facility name. Community input is very important to us. Please take a few minutes to share your ideas and feedback. Survey closed Friday, May 9, 2025
April 24, 2025
The renovation of the multigenerational spaces inside the Leisure Center is expected to start this fall.
The 40,000-square-foot Leisure Center, 3323 Walters Avenue, serves as the headquarters for the Park District’s recreation programs for children and adults, hosting Sunshine Preschool, the Senior Center and the Northbrook Theatre.
Dating back to the 1960s, the building used to hold the former Indian Ridge School and was acquired by the Park District in the 1980s.
The facility needs to be renovated and upgraded to extend its lifespan and boost the Park District’s ability to meet the needs of the community.
The cost of the project is currently estimated at about $12.1 million, and will be partially funded by a $2.8 million grant from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The project will feature functional upgrades catering to all users and elevating the interior of the building with a more open and inviting feel.
There will be an improved and welcoming main entrance, an enhanced lobby with new reception area and expanded hallway spaces.
The building will feature all new exterior windows and façade improvements, and classrooms will have ambient lighting and new viewing windows for a brighter, more communal feel.
New features will include a social lounge, additional art spaces and a technology and training room. There will be upgrades to the classrooms, demonstration kitchen and multipurpose rooms, including the addition of a fireplace. The bathrooms will be renovated, and technology will be added throughout the building to augment meetings, presentations and special events.
The Northbrook Theatre will have a designated entrance with a new direct outdoor walkway, along with upgrades to the smaller theatre space as well as the lower-level green room, dressings rooms and costume area.
Safety enhancements will include a designated access point for the early childhood area and improved wayfinding signage. The work also will upgrade the building to current ADA standards, including accessible bathrooms in the early childhood classrooms.
During construction, all programs that typically take place at the Leisure Center will be relocated to other Park District facilities as well as a few additional locations in the community.
Sunshine Preschool will be held at the Sports Center. The preschool’s furniture and materials will be moved to the new temporary location to ensure a familiar and welcoming environment for children and families.
Adult and senior programs, including drop-in programming, events and wellness, will be held at other Northbrook Park District facilities, including Village Green Center, Techny Prairie Activity Center and the Sports Center.
As the start of construction approaches, we will share additional information regarding these impactful plans on this project page.
May 18, 2023
With community input, the District completed and adopted a ten-year Comprehensive Master Plan which includes an annual Capital Improvement Plan. Community input conducted with this planning has indicated a priority for maintaining the District’s current assets. The Leisure Center Renovation Project has been identified by staff as eligible for a Park and Recreational Facilities Construction Program (PARC) opens in new tab grant award through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) opens in new tab. This grant application is a priority as Northbrook Park District continues to enhance our community by providing outstanding services, parks and facilities through environmental, social and financial stewardship.
The Leisure Center is home to a variety of recreational programs for all ages from tots through seniors. A renovation of this facility would facilitate increased opportunities in three of the top eight priorities for investment as identified by the community in the recent Comprehensive Master Plan Update including Adult General Recreation, Art Classes and Senior Center Programming.
The District has engaged Wight & Company opens in new tab to conduct evaluations of existing facility conditions and engage stakeholders, staff and the Board of Commissioners. The scope of the changes will be informed by community stakeholders who participate in senior, preschool, performing and cultural art classes and theatre productions.
The project deliverables will include two items: a Grant Scope and a Concept Plan. The Grant Scope will align select facility improvements and program spaces with grant requirements. The Concept Plan is a long-range plan implemented in phases to ensure a successful future for this facility for generations to come.
Proposed Concept Plans
Community Input Open House
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Northbrook Park District hosted a Community Input Open House for the Leisure Center Renovation Project, facilitated by Wight & Company, from 4p-6pm in the Williamsburg Room at Northbrook Leisure Center, located at 3323 Walters Ave, in Northbrook. Community members were invited to discuss the project with staff members and project consultants, view the concept design plans, and provide feedback on this facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PARC Grant?
PARC grants offered through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) opens in new tab are available to units of local government that are authorized by Illinois law to expend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public indoor/outdoor park, recreation, or conservation purposes are eligible to apply for funding assistance.
The priority of the program is the renovation or construction of indoor recreation facilities. PARC Grant covers 75% of capital project cost for most applicants.
PARC grants must be used for “bondable” or “brick and mortar” projects. Eligible capital expenditures include (but are not limited to) demolition in preparation for recreational development, site preparation and improvements for indoor/outdoor recreation purposes, utility work for indoor/outdoor recreation purposes, reconstruction or improvement of existing buildings or facilities for indoor/outdoor recreation purposes, expansion of buildings/facilities for indoor/outdoor recreation purposes, and new construction of buildings/structures.
What other projects are happening at the Leisure Center?
Accessibility Improvements
This project includes engineering for a new ADA sidewalk from the west parking lot to the Leisure Center. Facility users and Senior Center visitors currently walk through the parking lot to access the building. In addition, engineering will be completed for pathway repairs in Indian Ridge Park. The new concrete will also correct uneven surfaces and improve drainage. Engineering will be completed in 2023 with construction planned in 2024.
For more information about this project, contact us by email or call 847-291-2960.