Referendum Proposal
The Naperville Park District is considering a $135 million bond referendum for March 2026. Approximately 86% of that funding—about $120 million—would go toward building an indoor recreation and aquatic center at Frontier Park, located in Southwest Naperville by 95th Street and Route 59.
While the land is already owned, the proposed 138,000-square-foot facility would cost around $862 per square foot.
In total, the District’s plan calls for improvements at a total estimated cost of $139,390,000. All projects under consideration include:
- Indoor fitness and aquatics center at Frontier Park
- Site Improvements at Nike Sports Complex
- Site Improvements at Country Lakes Park
- Site Improvements at Wolf’s Crossing Community Park
- Refrigerated Outdoor Seasonal Ice Rinks at the Community Garden Plots Parking Lot
- Acquiring Additional Open Space
If the Park Board of Commissioners sends the item to a referendum, taxpayer approval will be required to move forward.
Proposed Improvement Plan
| Project | Cost | Precent of Plan |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Building Frontier Park Recreation & Aquatic Center | $119,750,000 | 85.9% |
| #2 Site Improvements at Nike Sports Complex | $4,250,000 | 3.0% |
| #3 Site Improvements at Country Lakes Park | $5,700,000 | 4.1% |
| #4 Site Improvements at Wolf’s Crossing Community Park | $2,840,000 | 2.0% |
| #5 Refrigerated Outdoor Seasonal Ice Rinks | $1,850,000 | 1.3% |
| #6 Acquiring Additional Open Space | $5,000,000 | 3.6% |
|
Total
|
$139,390,000
|
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Every Property Owner Pays For The Next 20 Years
As a non-profit, the Fry Family YMCA is dedicated to serving the diverse needs of Naperville’s population. Naperville is a thriving community, but affordability is becoming a concern for more of the population. The proposed facility’s capital cost—$120 million—would place a financial burden on residents, and duplicate facilities and services already available in the area.
If the plan moves forward, the Naperville Park District will have limited capacity to add facilities and programming in central and north Naperville, leading to concerns about these areas of town remaining underserved for decades to come.
In total, if approved, this initiative will cost property taxpayers $215 million over the the next 20 years.
| Home Market Value | New Additional Property Tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 | +$81 / Year |
| $400,000 | +$110 / Year |
| $500,000 | +$139 / Year |
| $600,000 | +$168 / Year |
| $700,000 | +$197 / Year |
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As proposed, the Park District’s share of your property taxes will rise by 31% compared to the current amount. Every homeowner and property owner in Naperville will have to financially support the $120 million indoor recreation and three-pool facility, regardless of whether they use it or its programming. The Naperville Park District currently estimates that if the referendum should be approved, 0.0876 cents per $100 of Equalized Assessed Value would be added to the tax rate. The estimates in the table labove include the application of the Homestead Exemption, which lowers the tax burden.