Comprising both a recreation center and a branch of the Waukegan Public Library, the Field House at Hinkston Park nourishes the mind as well as the body. The field house provides the Waukegan Park District with much-needed indoor recreational space and a centralized location for many district programs and events, after decades of being forced to rely on local schools and an armory. The library similarly needed space to serve new residents on Waukegan?s fast-growing western edge.
The $12 million field house includes a gym, an elevated walking/running track, a climbing wall, a fitness center, an aerobics room, a multipurpose room, locker rooms, child-care facilities, staff offices, a concessions court and the library branch. A key element is the open-span gym — no columns or beams — that contains six full-size basketball/volleyball courts.
The building?s front features primarily single-story spaces, with two-story spaces behind. This gives the building a more human, approachable scale. Siting takes advantage of the park setting.
Library officials were involved in the project from the planning stages, allowing for optimal use of the space, which comprises just 650 of the building?s 83,342 square feet of space. Library reading areas are tucked into corners that offer park views, and users of the two-level fitness center enjoy spectacular panoramic vistas of the park?s wooded trails.
Dilboy Memorial Stadium
