Naperville News Digest: Construction starts on Edward Cardiovascular Institute; District 203 enrollment down slightly from 2022; DuPage County seeking feedback on trails program

Construction of a new 71,000-square-foot, three-story Cardiovascular Institute Health Center on the Edward Hospital campus in Naperville is underway.

The health center at 10 W. Martin Ave. will help meet the community’s needs for outpatient cardiac care, Curt Pascoe, vice president of real estate development for Ryan Cos., said in a news release.

The center will have two catheterization laboratories, diagnostic imaging and cardiac rehabilitation and will feature caregivers from NorthShore-Edward-Elmhurst Health, Cardiac Surgery Associates and Midwest Cardiovascular Institute, the release said.

It will also serve as the main building at the new entrance to the hospital’s campus at 801 S. Washington St.

Naperville School District 203 officials presented a 2023-24 enrollment report at Monday’s school board meeting that showed a slight overall decrease of 25 students enrolled in kindergarten through high school.

District officials said that on Sept. 30, 2022, there were 15,582 students enrolled in its schools. One year later, enrollment was 15,557.

There was an increase of nine students at the elementary level and 52 students at the junior high school level, district documents show. Jefferson and Lincoln junior high schools had the highest number of new students.

Officials anticipate a slight enrollment increase at both the elementary and junior high school levels over the next four school years, documents said.

High school enrollment decreased by 86 students, which officials expected.

The district is forecasting enrollment will slightly increase by the 2027-2028 school year. Overall enrollment is projected to be between 15,439 and 15,696 students.

DuPage County Division of Transportation is asking residents to share their feedback on its trails plan by Nov. 17.

The county created the draft DuPage County Trails Plan after receiving input from more than 3,000 surveys.

DuPage County owns, operates and maintains a network of three regional trails: Illinois Prairie Path, Great Western Trail and Southern DuPage Regional Trail, a county news release said. It mows, removes invasive species and inspects the system, which is used by 940,000 residents and more than 115,000 visitors annually, officials said.

The trails plan establishes a standardized maintenance practice, improves safety, accessibility and navigation, and promotes environmental stewardship, the release said.

For more information, go to www.dupagetrailsplan.com.

The College of DuPage will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the physical educational center on its Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.

Prospective students and their families can learn about what the college offers. Information on academic programs, career offerings, financial aid, counseling and student life will be availabl.e

A general admission and financial aid presentation will be held in English and Spanish at 11 a.m.

The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required at www.cod.edu/visit.

Pace will hold in-person and virtual public hearings on its proposed 2024 operating budget, its 2025-26 two-year financial plan and its 2024-28 five-year capital program.

According to Pace, its proposed budget is balanced with no fare increases or service reductions for suburban service or regional paratransist. In 2024, Pace proposes to offer free fares on the fixed-route bus system to ADA-certified customers with a valid paratransit ID card.

The budget also includes resources to improve frequency and add trips where there is a demand and also provide continued support for its dial-a-ride partners, a news release said.

Pace staff will present a summary of its public hearings feedback to its board in November and adopt the budget before submitting it to the Regional Transportation Authority for approval.

Upcoming budget hearings will be held virtually at noon Monday, Oct. 23, and Wednesday, Oct. 25, and in-person from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the DuPage County Administration Building, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton.

For more information, go to www.pacebus.com/budget-hearings-2024.