Giving
The Backyard Project
No Place Like Home
One Community.
One Mission.
One Future.
For more than 65 years, Saint Viator has shaped young people who lead with heart, courage, compassion, and conviction. Our alumni carry this legacy into the world, our current students live it every day, and future Lions will inherit it — strengthened by the choices we make together right now.
We have always honored our past by investing boldly in our present. Over the last decade, we transformed classrooms, expanded innovation and the arts, and strengthened the spaces where faith and fellowship thrive. Now, we are taking the next essential step: building athletic facilities that match the excellence our students deserve and that future Lions will rely on for decades to come.
With 80% of our students participating in sports, these facilities are not extras. They are central to the Saint Viator experience for past, present, and future.
With your support, Saint Viator will reimagine our campus, creating spaces where students discover their passion, strengthen their character, and grow in resilience through teamwork, perseverance, and service to others.
64 Years of Excellence and Continuing to Build for Tomorrow.
The Reimagined Backyard
Our plan brings football, soccer, and lacrosse fields, tennis courts, and an 8‑lane track home to campus, strengthening school spirit, deepening community, and creating formative experiences students will carry with them long after graduation. These spaces will also welcome Catholic elementary and middle schools across the region, inspiring future Lions and reinforcing our role as a hub of Catholic education.
Every Lion deserves a true home field; therefore, we are also advancing best‑in‑class baseball and softball venues as part of the Backyard Project. With limited space on campus, we are partnering with a nearby location to create a dedicated site with regulation diamonds, quality surfaces and lighting, dugouts, bullpens, batting cages, seating, and all the amenities needed for a safe, well‑managed, game‑day environment that feels like home. Details will be shared once a contract is finalized.
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Benefits to Saint Viator & The Arlington Heights Community
The Backyard Project is about giving Arlington Heights something lasting: a place where our kids feel rooted, our families feel connected, and our neighborhood feels proud. By bringing our facilities up to the level of our academic excellence and Catholic mission, we meet what today’s families expect - strong learning paired with vibrant co‑curricular life. Students gain more time on campus in a safe and supportive environment, rather than racing to late‑night offsite practices that steal from study, rest, and family. This isn’t just a school investment; it’s a community investment. Local elementary and middle schools gain a resource that inspires future Lions, while a right‑sized plan with clear commitments on lights, sound, traffic, and landscaping protects the character of our neighborhood. Fewer teen driver trips mean less cut‑through congestion, and a well‑managed campus becomes a place where young athletes, families, and neighbors come together with pride. This project strengthens the heart of Arlington Heights.
Saint Viator's Commitment to Our Neighbors
Saint Viator continues to strengthen the Backyard Project plan with enhancements that directly respond to neighborhood priorities. Recent updates include adding a 30x20-inch mirror at the traffic mirror at the Saint Viator Oakton entrance to improve pedestrian safety and visibility, reinforcing parking and circulation guidelines for students and visitors, and providing proactive community notifications ahead of large gatherings such as Grandparents’ Mass.
The Clerics of Saint Viator remain committed to transparency and responsible development. Although not required, the school hosted a neighborhood open house on December 3, 2025, inviting 480 nearby residents—far exceeding Village notice requirements. The information‑style format ensured all 175 attendees could ask questions and share feedback both verbally and in writing.
Based on that input, the plan was refined to further improve neighborhood compatibility, including:
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Relocating the tennis courts to increase distance from nearby homes and position them adjacent to Carriage Park.
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Strengthening weekday traffic and parking operations, in addition to peak‑event planning.
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Expanding perimeter landscaping and screening to enhance privacy and aesthetics.
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Enhancing the Carriage Walk, which will remain publicly accessible from dawn to dusk with improved lighting and ongoing maintenance.
Key community considerations have also been addressed through expert analysis:
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A comprehensive traffic impact study by KLOA, Inc. confirms that surrounding streets, on‑campus circulation, and added parking can accommodate peak demand, including simultaneous events, when supported by staffed operations and coordinated overflow.
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Stormwater will be captured and detained on-site through re‑grading and an underground detention system, improving conditions for adjacent properties and meeting or exceeding Village standards.
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Lighting and sound will comply with all ordinances, using fully shielded, state‑of‑the‑art systems. A sound attenuation study for the public‑address system is underway.
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Landscaping, safety, and aesthetics will be strengthened through strategic screening, perimeter fencing, and event‑management protocols. Independent real‑estate data consistently shows that proximity to strong schools supports property values.
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Saint Viator will enhance and continue to maintain the Carriage Walk, preserving it as an important neighborhood connection.
These updates reflect the school’s ongoing commitment to being a thoughtful, responsive neighbor while ensuring students have safe, modern facilities that support their growth and success.
Progress to Date
Saint Viator submitted its Special‑Use application to the Village of Arlington Heights on January 22, 2026. The Special‑Use process has been an important benefit to the community, creating a structured, transparent framework that ensures the project meets high standards for safety, compatibility, and neighborhood impact. This review has guided meaningful refinements to traffic operations, landscaping, lighting, stormwater management, and event planning, all of which directly respond to resident priorities.
Throughout Spring 2026, Saint Viator representatives have been in active, productive collaboration with the Village’s Department of Planning & Community Development. This partnership has strengthened the project’s technical rigor and ensured alignment with Village expectations at every step.
Project designs have been refined, fundraising materials completed, and Saint Viator’s Planning Committee continues to meet weekly to review progress, address community considerations, and maintain momentum toward key milestones.
To support clear, consistent communication, the school has expanded its capacity with the addition of Megan Brunet, Vice President of Brand and Marketing, who will continue sharing updates and opportunities for involvement throughout the summer. Ongoing progress can be followed here on the Backyard Project page of our website.
Add your name in support
of a modern stadium that will serve students, families, and our community for generations to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
List of 9 items.
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What is Saint Viator planning for its existing backyard?
To respond to the evolving needs of our students and community, Saint Viator will construct on-campus, multi-sport facilities.Key features will include:- Competition and practice fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, dance, and cheer
- Home and Visitor Bleachers
- 8-lane all-weather track with field events
- Tennis courts (8)
- Support facilities including restrooms, concessions, outdoor/equipment storage
- Additional parking
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Are baseball and softball still a priority? What is the plan for fields?
Yes. Please know, baseball and softball remain a priority today, next season, and for the long run.Alongside our broader campus improvements, we are advancing plans for best-in-class, right-sized baseball and softball venues with regulation fields and strong game-day support so every Lion benefits from spaces built for excellence.Because campus space is limited, we’re securing nearby partner locations that can provide full-dimension, regulation diamonds with quality surfaces and lighting, dugouts and bullpens, multiple batting cages, scoreboard and PA system, seating for families and friends, and convenient access. Overall, a safe, well-managed site that looks and feels like home on game day.We’ll share the location and renderings once agreements are finalized. -
Why now?
Over the past decade, we’ve invested heavily in academics, arts, and innovation.Athletics is now the most pressing gap. Nearly 80% of students participate in sports, yet our facilities have not kept pace. In fact, Saint Viator is among the few high schools in Illinois without multi-sport, on-campus facilities.Families expect strong academics and vibrant co-curriculars. This project brings Saint Viator on par with Illinois public and private high schools, where modern, on-campus fields and track are the prevailing standard. -
Who will benefit from these new facilities?
First and foremost, our students. On-campus fields, track, and courts mean less time on buses, more time for learning and practice, and safe, well-supervised afternoons. Families benefit from simpler schedules and staying closer to home.We’re also building with our neighbors in mind. Plans include shielded lights with set hours, calibrated sound, staffed traffic, and on-campus parking first, added landscaping, and a posted events calendar so there are no surprises. -
What is the timeline for this project?
Subject to review and approval from the Village of Arlington Heights, we aim to break ground in Fall 2026 and host the first full season in Fall 2027. -
How will this project be funded?
The project will be privately funded primarily through philanthropy. Our commitment is to strengthen Saint Viator’s long-term financial health, not add burden to families. Donor support ensures this project is an investment in the future, not a short-term expense. Tuition will not be impacted.Our fundraising will not affect the Annual Fund, scholarships, or ministry budgets. -
Will this affect my property taxes?
No. Unlike the pending $850M referendum for District 214, our facilities will be privately funded. -
Is there a plan to deal with the increase in cars and traffic?
By bringing practices and games on campus, bus traffic and off-campus trips will decrease.
To ensure additional capacity on-site, Saint Viator is adding parking as part of the renovation. During peak events (such as home varsity football games, approximately 5 times a year), Saint Viator will coordinate with neighboring parishes to provide supplemental parking.
We will follow village guidelines on lighting, hours, and traffic flow to minimize disruption. -
Where will teams practice / play during the construction of the new fields?
We are working closely with local partners to secure interim practice and competition facilities while our site is renovated. All 2026 spring sports and summer camps will be held on-site. Groundbreaking is currently projected for Fall 2026.
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Community Updates
On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Saint Viator High School welcomed 175 neighbors, alumni, current parents, and prospective parents to an Open House event to learn more about Saint Viator’s Backyard Project, including preliminary renderings, maps and timelines, and project specifics.
The Backyard Project is our vision to reimagine our existing backyard with updated athletic and community spaces, using the land we already have to better serve our students and the broader Arlington Heights community.
The Open House event was held between 7:00 and 8:30 PM on December 3rd, and attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and meet the dedicated team of subject matter experts, ranging from architects, landscapers, and engineers to representatives in sports lighting, safety, traffic, and real estate.
It was a great evening filled with energy and conversation. Missed the event? See the Open House Fact Sheet and visit our project page for ongoing updates.
Naming Opportunities
Naming opportunities available in recognition for those supporting at leadership levels. Please contact Jeff Ardito, Vice President of Advancement, at jardito@saintviator.com or 224-625-1286 to learn more.
