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Collinsville Area Recreation District (CARD)

The Collinsville Area Recreation District (CARD) is a special purpose district that governs recreation activity for city of Collinsville, Illinois and other surrounding communities. CARD was established on November 13, 1990 and is governed by 5 unpaid, elected officials that serve six-year terms and make up the board of commissioners. CARD offers a multitude of services such as children’s camps, seasonal events like “Breakfasts with Santa”, adult fitness classes, and karate. CARD is a municipal corporation and is free to purchase, maintain and sell property freely with a majority vote from the board. CARD operates many properties including Glidden Park, Woodland Park, and the Jaycee Sports Complex. However CARD also owns facilities not considered to be traditional parks such as the Miners' institute and Splash City Family Waterpark.

Creation and Legal Foundation
Under Illinois Complied Statute 70 ILCS 1205, “any territory having less than 500,000 population… may be in an incorporated park district..” The requirements outlined by this statue are first that a petition and outline of the proposed park district must be reviewed by a judge. If the proposal meets the requirements set forth by the state, a referendum is then held by a ballot initiative at which time voters can vote for or against the proposed district. On November 13, 1990 the ballot initiative put forth for the creation of CARD was approved. The number of park commissioners is outlined in 70 ILCS 1205 and is set at five, unless otherwise set via ballot initiative. These commissioners serve six year terms, but all other organizational structure is under the discretion of the district. CARD’s taxing authority extends to the boundary of the Collinsville Township as well as the City of Collinsville. It has properties located in Collinsville as well as Maryville and Granite City. Revenue is raised through property tax, the current rate being $0.952 for every $100.

Glidden Park
Glidden Park is a 30 acre park located at Branch Street and Lebanon Road in Collinsville. It is very well known for its steep hills that are often used for winter sledding. The park also has three tennis courts, an inline hockey rink, a basketball court, pavilions, as well as a R/C track for small remote control toy vehicles.

Jaycee Sports Complex
The Jaycee Sports Complex is located at St. Louis and Complex Road in Collinsville. The complex is 17 acres and consists of 12 baseball fields, a football field, as well as six soccer fields. The complex is often used for little league play as well as adult leagues.

Pleasant Ridge Park
Pleasant Ridge Park is a 50 acre property located at 1345 Pleasant Ridge Road in Maryville. CARD acquired this property in March 2007 and in December 2007 created a master plan to renovate the park. In October 2011, phase one of the master plan was completed, including a pavilion, playground equipment, and restroom facilities. Phase two of the master plan to connect the park to the MCT Schoolhouse Bike Trail is currently in progress. The total cost of renovations is planned to be about one million dollars.

Woodland Park
Woodland Park is a 49.5 acre park located on Pine Lake Road in Collinsville. The park is home to the Arthur Fletcher Field where the Collinsville Kahoks play their home baseball games. The park also was used for a landfill, but today is only used for recreation activities. The park also has a small amphitheater, three other baseball fields, playgrounds, as well as a Frisbee golf course.

Arlington Greens Golf Course
Arlington Greens is an 18-hole, public golf facility located at 200 Arlington Drive in Granite City. The facility was bought in 2007 and holds many events such as golf scrambles and can be rented for parties. Since the property was purchased using taxpayer dollars, CARD district customers enjoy a lower rate for a round of golf.

Miner’s Institute
The Miners' institute is a historic building located in uptown Collinsville. It is a 65 x 148 three story building that was originally built using donations from the surrounding unionized miners. Each miner in the union contributed one percent of his annual income to fund the construction, and the building was finally built in 1918. In August of 1985, the building was classified as a historic building from the National Register of Historic Places. CARD purchased the building in 2008 from the Miner’s Institute Foundation and is currently working to renovate the building. Phase one of the renovations was completed in May 2011 for about $754,000 and phase two is planned to begin construction in the summer of 2012.

Splash City Family Waterpark
Splash City Family Waterpark is a 1 acre waterpark located at 10 Gateway Drive in Collinsville. The park was purchased by CARD in 1997. The facility boasts its FlowRider, which pumps 36,000 gallons of water creating a wave-pool for customers to surf on. The park also has a lazy river, two 30’ water slides, as well as traditional swimming lanes.

Willoughby Heritage Farm
Willoughby Heritage Farm is located at 631 Willoughby Lane in Collinsville. The farm and surrounding 30 acres of land was purchased by CARD in 2003 and has been actively renovated by CARD. The land includes many live animals such as chickens and goats and also has hiking trails that extend into the wooded areas of the property.