The Rieger Park restrooms will be closed until further notice due to multiple reports of vandalism within two weeks, according to a Park District of Forest Park Facebook post made Wednesday.
In the two years since its construction, Jackie Iovinelli, the park district’s executive director, said there had never been an incident at those restrooms. But there were three separate instances of vandalism last month, causing damage to the toilets and forcing the park district to lock the doors.
The first of three events occurred on May 29 when authorities responded to a complaint regarding a vandalized toilet in the park restrooms. Upon arrival, officers observed a large landscaping rock inside one of the toilets and recognized its shattered pieces on the ground next to it.
Iovinelli said a similar incident occurred about a week later with a landscaping rock and a broken toilet, which forced the park district to lock one of the two restrooms. However, when they returned the next morning, someone forced an excessive amount of toilet paper into the toilet, causing it to overflow.
“That was our ‘all right, we need to take a break,’” Iovinelli said.
After the initial event, Iovinelli said they were able to submit footage they had collected from the cameras set up pointed at the entrance of the restrooms.
The first hearing for the restroom vandalisms will be on Wednesday, Iovinelli added.
In the meantime, the park district will try to implement and rely more on a neighborhood watch. Iovinelli said they are hoping that if they see something, they say something.
“As long as the neighbors see something, we will immediately do something about it,” Iovinelli said. “But until we can get our heads wrapped around continuing to repair this repetitive action, we just have to take a break.”
While the park district will remain reliant on this foreseen closure to prevent future vandalism, Iovinelli said for the scheduled hearing, “Hopefully maybe that will make some changes too.”
As a public park, the last thing the park district wants to do is put restrictions on an open place for people to gather, Iovenelli added.
“This is a beautiful park we built for the neighborhood that we’re hoping we can get the bathrooms back open and we can get back to normal day-to-day play over there,” Iovenelli said.
In May 2024, the renovated park at 1526 Circle Ave. reopened after a multi-year effort to secure funding and construction, following the transfer of four pocket parks from the Village of Forest Park to the Park District of Forest Park through a 99-year lease at $1 per year.
Included in the renovation, and with design input from the community, are a water feature, gaga ball pit, sand area, tables with checkerboards and the restrooms.