Doors were flung open for the first time for the Richfield Heritage Preserve

The Richfield Joint Recreation District held an open house on June 12 as a celebration of all that has been accomplished since the combined Richfield Village and Township property owners agreed to purchase the former Girl Scout camp. It was the first time since 2014 that residents were able to go into several of the buildings that were saved from demolition and have been stabilized.

According to RJRD chairperson Anita Gantner about 300 people attended, exceeding their expectations. “People were gushing in their compliments of the park. I asked a number of people what they would change and a large majority said, “nothing.”  

“People that offered suggestions talked about expanding offerings such as paddleboard rentals, using The Lodge for exercise classes and hosting social nights.  It was a great start in engaging the community in our strategic planning process,” she said. 

Gantner said the board is asking residents to complete a survey regarding the future of the park, found on the richfieldheritagepreserve.com website. The survey will close on July 10.

She also said that the board is planning to hold a second open house in September. ∞