The Naperville Park District has received a $60,000 grant to assist with replacing a gravel parking lot with permeable pavers at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots, county and park district officials said.

Naperville Park District’s project was one of four projects selected by the DuPage County Stormwater Management Planning Committee as part of its Water Quality Improvement Program. The committee also awarded grants to Willowbrook, Carol Stream and Glendale Heights to help improve the quality of DuPage’s streams and rivers, officials said.

The county program helps with funding for projects that show a regional water quality benefit, county officials said. The county received nine applications and awarded $310,000 in total to the four projects.

Over 25 years, the county has provided funds for 112 water quality projects.

The county’s grant will help replace the 44,000-square-foot gravel parking lot with permeable pavers for stormwater management, officials said. The project will also include planting native trees and plants in the islands.

The project is estimated to cost about $1 million. It will be done in multiple phases starting later this year to allow for gardeners to finish the planting season, officials said.

The Naperville Park District’s permeable paver parking lot and other improvements are part of the district’s garden plots master plan, which was adopted in 2022, according to the park district.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.