There are plenty of reasons that Frankfort’s Lucy Lindgren enjoys the makeover at the Fort Frankfort playground.

The play facility, nestled in Frankfort’s Commissioners Park, was given the red ribbon-cutting treatment this week. The 8-year-old Lindgren ran around and climbed and had fun even though she had been there a few times before the ceremonial opening.

“This is still like the old Fort Frankfort,” she said. “My favorite part is the zip line.”

As she grows older, there will be another reason she will smile when she comes to the park. She’s smiling about it now.

“My grandpa’s name is on the benches and on the pavilion,” she said.

Lindgren’s grandfather is the late Phil Simmons, who was one of the founders of the village’s Operation Playground Foundation and helped secure money for the current Fort Frankfort project. He played a big role in the playground, 22108 S. 80th Ave., being built in 1999.

He died in 2024, shortly after the renovation project received $1.7 million from the state thanks in part to the efforts of state Sen. Michael Hastings.

“Phil was a driving force in caring for the former Fort,” Frankfort Park District Executive Director Gina Hassett said. “If you worked the Fort maintenance, you have heard his speech.

“He would tell the high schoolers the story of the importance of play and giving back to the community.”

Simmons, then-Pak Board member Terry Russin and a group of citizens raised $120,000 to build the orginal Fort Frankfort. Between 75-100 citizens volunteers work in shifts to get the playground built in a year’s time.

It was made mostly of wood structures and a few decades of wear and tear took its toll.

The mission in recent years was to revamp the playground. There are new structures, areas for smaller children to play, two shelters and a concentration of the whole area being inclusive, not only for those in wheelchairs, but for older people using the park who have trouble getting around.

It no longer looks like an old fort, with the wood being gone, but the modern structures have a homage to the village’s history with one climbing structure honoring the iconic Frankfort Grainery and another honoring the water tower.

“This playground was an always will be a legendary destination in Frankfort,” Hassett  said. “We’re especially proud of the many inclusive features incorporated throughout the playground including the accessible surface and a communication board, which helps children connect and play alongside their peers.”

Frankfort’s Chris Dexter brought his two daughters, Mackenzie, 4, and Maggie, 2, to the park Tuesday even though he didn’t know there would be a grand opening ceremony. The Dexters made a few visits to the park before the ribbon was sliced.

“I like it,” Chris said. “I like the material on the ground. It’s nice and safe for the kids. There are a lot of activities. Mackenzie enjoys the giant tube slide.

“It’s good they have a small little place where they can make music. I like it a lot.”

Hastings also did some climbing and went down the tube slide. Before taking the trip on the slide he told people he didn’t know what would happen if he got stuck.

But a few seconds later he landed safely with a big smile.

Hasting said he hopes more smiles are ahead as he looks forward to more ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Commissioners Park.

He helped secure $7.85 million in Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant money for a variety of area projects.

One of the projects is a Cooperstown-style baseball field to complement the park’s other fields.

“There will be a nice brick backstop,” he said. “We will also reconfigure the T-ball fields and move them.”

There will be room for eight pickleball courts. Improvements of the soccer fields and other fields are on the docket.

Also planned is reconfiguring the drainage to avoid flooding, parking lots and new entrances.

“This is all possible when you have a good partnership,” Hastings said. “This is what happens when the state and local levels work together.

“This is all going to be a lot of fun.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.