With exterior round barn renovations complete and an interior construction timeline nearly solidified, the Manhattan Park District is readying itself for a busy future of weddings and events.
At the May 14 board meeting, Executive Director Jay Kelly introduced the board to Jessica McHugh, the district’s new Wedding and Event Manager for the Round Barn Farm.
McHugh will manage all aspects of weddings, corporate, and private events at the Round Barn once renovations are completed.
McHugh has an extensive resume, with 15 years’ experience, including working for country clubs, multiple restaurants and events forums, weddings, parties, and fundraisers. She also attained a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration from Northern Illinois University.
“This is kind of my dream job to start an event venue from scratch, trying to get the stamp of approval before anything else. I’m really excited,” McHugh said.
McHugh already has been hard at work putting together standard operating procedures for internal operations, packages, plans for rentals, weddings, etc., Kelly told the board. McHugh also is meeting with vendors to establish a list of preferred vendors for events, as well as software companies for POS software for deposits and bar sales.
Additionally, Kelly reported the district has created a style guide for Round Barn events, and they will begin marketing the venue once the construction timeline is set and agreed upon by contractors. They also secured a website domain for the venue.
“Once the bids are approved, and that timeline is secure, they [McHugh and staff] go to work. Then we start marketing the barn and start bringing in deposits, taking reservations,” Kelly said.
The bid and construction documents are being prepped for attorney review. Round Barn interior renovation plans have been submitted to the village, and Kelly reported he had not heard any negative feedback on them.
Meetings with the architect, fire district, and health department were set to take place on May 15. Kelly anticipates opening bidding in June, with construction beginning in July, and a tentative estimated completion of November 1. All dates are subject to change, but Kelly wanted to give the board an idea of the current expectations.
“We’re still looking at a grand opening in the fall or early spring next year. Winterfest will be at the barn, so that’ll be great,” Kelly said.
‘The Station’ Move-In This Fall
Lots of changes are coming up at Manhattan Parks. The Park District anticipates moving its offices to Manhattan Fire Station 81 this fall, once the fire district moves into its new station under construction on Eastern Avenue. The new-to-the-park-district building will be called The Station at Central Park and will provide more space for activities and office staff.
The upstairs training room will be remodeled for The Den, but outside of that, it will be “plug and play” once IT finishes its set-up, Kelly said.
The fire station’s signage will come down and be replaced with park district signs, though Kelly said that after move-in, they will maintain the building’s heritage as a former fire station.
The old house behind the Hansen Community Center building, which previously housed the park district office before the acquisition of the HCC building, will be torn down at some point after move-in to expand Gustafson Grove and improve flow between the station building and HCC.
“It’s the cornerstone of Central Park,” said Kelly, and said the district would be looking at adding a path and potentially a gazebo.
The board briefly discussed allowing the fire district to use the building for live fire training, but they had concerns about damage to the mature trees near the house.
New Outdoor Fitness Studio Approved
The board approved a court and fitness studio from the National Fitness Campaign, which will be installed at Round Barn Farm. The outdoor fitness studio is anticipated to be fully funded by sponsorships and grants. The district has already received a significant portion of funding.
Treasurer Joe Farkas asked about the studio’s appearance.
“It’s similar to the one in New Lenox,” President Bridget Hope said, with Kelly adding that Manhattan’s also will have the additional 32’x32’ court, which allows for programming.
The fitness space allows for a full-body bodyweight workout and circuit training. It also will feature space for a custom mural.
Summer-Ready
The dog park gate is fully functional and open. Lacinda Shawver reported there are about 90 dog park users registered so far this year.
The splash pad at Central Park will be open Memorial Day weekend for the summer.
Summer programming is underway, and landscape spring cleanup has begun. Parks Superintendent Bob Gainous reported extensive cleanup, including graffiti removal and toilet replacement at Central Park due to vandalism.
Additionally, the board approved the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD Crew Cab 159″ Work Truck, with aluminum lift gate and prepped for a plow package for $61,414.11. The district will be receiving a new plow through insurance after severe weather damaged an existing plow.
Round Barn Farm Heritage Fest is scheduled for June 13 at noon.
